Roots & Wings
by Saintsavory
Summary: Bill Chapman's infidelity turns Piper's world upside down when she meets her father's mistress. This tale begins with Alex and Piper in their high school years and takes them past college graduation.
1. Chapter 1

Notes: This story is made up of three "books" with a possible fourth somewhere down the line, and each book contains multiple chapters. The story is finished and stands at 230 pages in Word, which I'm certain is my longest story to date. There are lots of joyous _ups_ and depressing _downs_ in this tale, and some of you might not like every chapter and where I take the characters, so I advise you to read at your own risk. There's also lots of sex, which I will clearly mark with an M for Mature at the beginning of those chapters. If you're a minor, just put this one away until that glorious 18th birthday.

* * *

BOOK I—GLORY DAYS

It wasn't that her parents were the perfect couple or that they'd win an award for _Parents of the Year_ —her mom drank too much and her father had numerous affairs. Her siblings weren't very well-adjusted either, and Piper blamed much of their culpabilities on Bill & Carol's lack of parenting. Her older brother, Danny, was self-absorbed, and her younger one, Cal, was already smoking weed at the ripe age of 11. Those things weren't apparent to the outside world—no, to anyone who wasn't on the inside, the Chapmans were the perfect family. Bill with his steady job and vast income, and Carol, the pearl-wearing housewife who "kept a good home."

Piper was the blonde headed, blue eyed, straight-A student who seemed to have it all. Boys flirted with her and girls wanted to be friends with her. Teachers appreciated Piper's participation in class and could always count on her to turn in exceptional work. She sometimes got teased by the stoner crowd at school for being a "goody two shoes," but Piper didn't care—she wasn't out to impress _them_.

Piper wanted for nothing, so she rarely complained about the way her parents treated her or that they didn't pay much attention to her during her formative years. When Danny went off to college, she inherited his white BMW, and despite the 102,000 miles on it, Piper loved the vehicle, not because it was a status symbol, but because it was her escape. She enjoyed driving and often found herself just across the state line in New York. Her parents had greater things to concern themselves with other than questioning how their daughter had racked up 10,000 miles the previous year. She'd tell them she was spending the weekend at her friend's house, or even better, at one of their summer homes in the Hamptons, and Bill & Carol always allowed her to go.

Her white lies had served Piper well as she went to Broadway shows or simply craved a slice of pizza in Brooklyn. Sometimes she traveled alone, but mostly, she'd drive with Polly to the City or around Greenwich. They'd go to malls or house parties that she'd somehow gotten wind of. She'd made out with all sorts of boys before she met Larry, but since the day they met in math class, Piper had been _going steady_ with him. She didn't drink alcohol like her friends, because if she got caught, the worst thing that could happen would be her loss of driving privileges. She couldn't have that.

The summer before her junior year of high school, Piper and Polly decided to see _Fiddler on the Roof_ in the City (Polly's father had given them tickets.) She loved the theater and sometimes used her monthly cash allowance to take in several shows a year. Piper and her friend went to Sardi's for dinner that Saturday night, and she saw something that would forever change her life.

The gray-haired man at the table in the corner was her father to be sure, and seated next to him was a dark haired woman. With eyes as wide as saucers, Piper watched him kiss the woman's hand and caress her arm. She distractedly tapped Polly on the arm, but words were stuck in her throat, and her mouth hung open like a guppy.

Polly turned to see the scene to her right. "I'm sure it's not what it looks like."

"The hell it's not." Piper thrust her chair out and approached her father and his guest. "What the hell is going on here?"

Bill at least had the decency to look shocked and pull away from the woman. "I can explain, honey."

"I don't think an explanation is necessary." She folded her arms, eyes darting between the two adults.

He looked down as if trying to come up with a reason why he was canoodling with someone who wasn't his wife, and then covered the other woman's hand with his own. "This obviously isn't how I wanted you to find out about us, but since we're in this situation…I want to introduce you to Diane."

Piper's head whipped to her right as she glared at the other woman. "He's a married man!"

"I know that, hon, but..."

"What she's trying to say is that sometimes we can't control where our heart goes." Bill clutched the other woman's arm. "Piper, there's no easy way to say this." He clenched his jaw and met her eyes. "Your mother and I are getting a divorce."

"Over her?" Piper yelled, unimpressed with the other woman's teased hair and ratty dress.

"I'm in love with Diane," he stated plainly. "We've been together for six months, and I'm not letting her go. I know this is difficult to take in…" Bill continued talking, but Piper tuned him out.

A multitude of questions whirled around in her head like a pinwheel. _How'd she miss this? What did it mean for her? Did her mother already know?_ "This can't be right. I must be having a nightmare."

He stood and put his hands on his daughter's shoulders. "You know this doesn't change the way I feel about you and the boys. I love you very much, Piper, and I will _always_ take good care of you."

Piper flung his hands off of her. "What about mom?"

Bill pursed his lips. "I was going to tell her tomorrow."

"Sure you were." She spun around in search of Polly, and then looked back at her father. "You're a liar. I don't want anything to do with you!" With that, she stormed out of the restaurant as Polly gave Bill a disapproving look before chasing after her friend.

She remembered collapsing against the steel and concrete of a tall building and Polly rubbing her back as tears poured down her cheeks and snot dripped down to her lips. It wasn't until hours later when Piper felt well enough to drive back home, skipping the Broadway show, and deciding to spend the night (or the week) at Polly's house.

She shouldn't have been shocked at her father's affair—her grandmother had told her a few years ago that Bill was unfaithful to her mother—what shocked her was that she'd caught him red handed. That and the fact that he seemed to have no intention of loving and leaving this one—this _Diane_.

* * *

She fished in her purse for her prized Zippo lighter, balancing a cigarette between her lips. "I'm not fucking moving in with them. Do what you need to, mom, but I refuse to live there."

Diane yanked the cigarette out of her daughter's mouth. "What did I tell you about smoking?"

Alex huffed and shook her head.

"You're meeting Bill's sons and daughter today, kid." Diane lit the cigarette, putting it between her own lips. "All I ask is that you give them a chance. If you don't like them, we'll talk about another solution. That's fair."

Alex couldn't argue with that—it _was_ fair. Still, she didn't think she'd change her mind about moving in with the Chapmans. Unbeknownst to her mom, she'd driven past their home with her friend, Nicky, who had her own car. Alex took one look at the manicured lawn and large red-bricked house with its two car garage and a BMW and Mercedes parked out front. "Fuck this," she'd told Nicky.

"Yeah, I don't blame ya," Nicky had said with a pat on the back. "More money, more problems. I should know."

Not that Alex liked school, but if she moved to the Chapman's house in Connecticut, that meant she would have to transfer in the middle of her senior year. It had taken her four years to establish a relationship with her teachers enough for them to understand that _she didn't do school_ , and earning a D was a perfectly passable grade. Alex also knew exactly how many days she could be tardy or miss and still get a diploma at the end of the year. If she transferred to a high school in a different state, she'd have to navigate an entirely new educational system.

"I told you to change your pants," Diane announced, looking her daughter over.

"I'm not going to be someone I'm not." She shrugged. "These are my favorite jeans; you have to at least allow me to be comfortable in my own fucking clothes."

"Fine." Diane grabbed the keys off the hook with a huff. "Get in the car, kid."

Alex watched the city whiz by as they left the glittery lights of Manhattan and headed into the tree-lined suburban streets of Connecticut. Although she was only 17, the brunette was a city girl, and the thought of moving to the burbs was less than appealing.

* * *

After Piper had caught her father and Diane together at Sardi's, things progressed swiftly between the older couple. In just six months, Piper's mother had moved into a well-appointed apartment in Pemberwick and Piper and Cal stayed in the house with their father. Diane was going to move in by the end of the year, but it was still undetermined if her teenage daughter would move in with her.

Piper had a tough time forgiving her father for this latest infidelity, but despite her complaints, Bill stood his ground and was committed to a new relationship with Diane. The blonde had to choose her battles wisely, and deep inside, she knew this was one she'd never win.

That evening, they were going to meet Diane's daughter for the first time. To say that Piper was not looking forward to the evening was an understatement. All she knew was that she needed to make nice over dinner for a couple of hours, and then she could meet Larry at the bonfire party down the street.

"You look very nice, Piper." Her father patted her on the head like a poodle.

She figured if she played her cards well and behaved the way she always did, like a _good girl_ , she'd get just about anything she ever wanted. In fact, she'd already used her parents' divorce to make them promise to buy her a new car at the beginning of senior year. It was high time for a new BMW.

Piper glanced down at her winter-white dress with its aqua sash at the waist and smoothed her hand down her sides. "Thanks, daddy."

* * *

"Just think, we'll have access to a car that starts after just one try in a couple of weeks," her mother said after revving up their 1989 Buick three times.

"Great, ma." Alex rolled her eyes and shoved her headphone buds in her ears.

"Money's no object, so you order whatever the hell you want on the menu," she said, yanking one of the earbuds out of her daughter's ear. "But you damn well better be on your best behavior. That means no cursing."

Alex sighed as she plugged the headphone back in her ear and listened to Nine Inch Nails. She figured if she could just sit through this two-hour dinner, she'd be able to smoke pot and get wasted with Nicky by 9 o'clock.

They arrived at Salvatore's Ristorante, and it was the first time Alex had a car door opened for her. "I can manage, thanks." She stepped out and closed her own squeaky door.

Diane winked at her daughter as she handed the valet a dollar bill. "Fancy, isn't it?"

The younger Vause adjusted her glasses and shrugged her hair off her shoulders. "I guess."

Diane put her hand on her daughter's back as they entered the restaurant. "Take out those damn headphones and turn off your music. This isn't Burger King."

She rolled her eyes but did as she was told, wrapping the red and black cord around the iPod she'd "found" at school two weeks prior. Alex looked around the vast space, and she'd never seen such opulence. There were two massive, gold chandeliers hanging from the 20-foot wooden ceiling; white tablecloths with perfectly starched corners on every table; and servers wearing tuxedos, whisking around the room, carrying trays topped with glasses of all shapes and sizes.

"Holy shit," she mumbled.

"Language, kid." Her mother slapped her arm as she spotted her lover across the way. "Bill!" She waved.

The man grinned as he met them in the lobby, wrapping his arms around her mom. He pulled back, keeping one arm around Diane's waist. "You must be Alex."

"What gave it away?" She felt her mother's hip buck against her own.

"Yes, this is my daughter," she stated proudly.

Bill extended his hand. "I've heard so much about you, Alex. I want to introduce you to my children."

The Chapman kids had already met Diane on two occasions, not counting Piper's chance encounter with the other woman six months earlier.

"I'm Cal." A young, roly-poly boy with reddish-blonde hair waved, and then shoved his hand into his khakis.

She returned the wave. "Hey, I'm Alex."

"And I'm Piper," the girl next to him said, extending her hand. "It's nice to meet you."

Alex pursed her lips and adjusted her glasses. She had no idea that Bill's daughter would be so attractive with her shoulder length blonde hair and wiry body. Piper was still "developing," to be sure, but she was filling out nicely.

"Hi, _Piper_." She grinned and shook the girl's hand, holding on a few seconds more than the blonde seemed comfortable with.

"Our table's ready." Bill opened his arm for the women to go first. "After you." Cal followed behind, mouth hanging open as he stared at Alex's ass.

* * *

There was something about Alex that screamed _cocky_ , and Piper didn't appreciate it one bit. She'd hardly said three words over her _Linguine Alle Vongole_ , leaving the blonde to determine that she was most certainly aloof. Her father had filled her in about Alex—she was a senior in high school, worked part-time at a grocery store, and had aspirations, according to her mother, to be a business major. When the topic of college surfaced during dessert, Alex squashed that idea.

"Me? College?" She let out a low laugh. "I don't think so."

"Then what are you planning to do with the rest of your life?" Piper asked as if Alex's thoughts about not attending college were outlandish.

She lifted her shoulders. "Earn money, get my own place; my own car."

"That's fine for the time being, but what career path are you going to pursue?" Piper leaned forward, curious to hear the other girl's response.

Alex swallowed a bite of her mint-chocolate cannoli, then put her fork down. "My life isn't like yours, kid." She dabbed the corners of her mouth with a crisp, white napkin. "I don't have Daddy Warbucks paying my way through college, buying me cars and stuff."

"What Alex is trying to say is that she probably won't take the traditional path to college." Diane patted her daughter's arm after giving her a cross look. "Maybe start at a community college or something for a few years, and then go from there."

"I don't need you to translate for me, mom." Alex looked the blonde straight in the eye. "College isn't for everyone, and it's certainly not in the cards for me."

Piper couldn't comprehend Alex's attitude about the future and was a little pissed that she'd referred to her as _kid_ , so she dismissed the other girl with a huff and waited for her father to change the contentious conversation.

She didn't have to wait long. "Cal, why don't you tell Diane and Alex about your science project?"

The boy told everyone about the volcano he was building and how he liked 'exploding things.' Piper chanced a glance at Alex, who seemed amused by her little brother. The brunette hadn't smiled fully throughout dinner, leaving Piper to wonder what a genuine smile would look like on her perfectly symmetrical face with her pale skin and hazel eyes.

The blonde hastily looked away when Alex caught her staring. "May I be excused, daddy?"

"The bill is paid, and everyone seems to be finished with dessert." He tapped the table with both hands. "I don't see why not."

The group said their goodbyes, and Piper waited for her BMW to be brought around by the valet. Alex walked towards her, digging in her bag for something while Bill, Diane and Cal waited in the heated lobby for their vehicles.

"Where are you rushing off to?" Alex asked casually, tugging her iPod out and unraveling the headphones.

Piper tightened her coat against the bitter wind. "To see my boyfriend at a party."

"Of course you are," she huffed, pressing the screen on the iPod.

"I don't assume _you_ have a boyfriend." Piper looked her up and down, somewhat admiring her worn out leather jacket but repulsed by her gray, ripped jeans.

"It's not for their lack of trying," she snickered. If there was one pleasant thing about Alex, it was her eyes that were hidden behind black frames.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Alex shoved an earbud into her ear, then looked at the other girl. "I'm not into boys."

Piper contained the eye roll that was about to surface. "Oh, that's right, you're _so_ much older than me," she replied with sarcasm. "You must be into _men_."

That caused the dark haired girl to toss her head back with laughter. Piper couldn't help but stare at her long, smooth neck as it rolled back.

Alex folded her arms. "You don't get it, do you?"

She lifted her eyebrows and watched Alex lick her lips and stuff the other headphone into her ear. "I like _girls_."

Piper dropped her purse as her mouth hung open. It took her a moment to recover, as she lifted her bag and hocked it over her shoulder. She tried to will away the blush rising up her neck and settling on her cheeks, praying that her car was the next to arrive.

"What's the matter?" Alex tilted her head and smirked. "Never met a lesbian before?"

She hadn't. "Of course I have." She fiddled anxiously with the zipper on her bag. "My school has a Queer Straight Alliance that I _would_ be a member of if I wasn't already over-involved with newspaper, cross country and a super intense academic load," she babbled. "So, yes, I've met lesbians before. All the time, in fact." She'd never been so grateful to see the BMW in her life. "I have to go."

"Nice ride." Alex fastened her jacket and shoved her hands and the iPod into her pockets. "See you around, kid."

Piper glared at the other girl. "I'm not a kid." She handed the valet a tip, got into her car and skidded away.

* * *

Just so we're clear, the Greenwich featured in this story is _not_ Greeenwich Village, a neighborhood in Manhattan. This Greenwich is in Connecticut and boasts the wealthiest zip code in New England. People who live in Greenwich often work in Manhattan and take the train or hire private drivers to get there.


	2. Chapter 2

Alex arrived at the party in the Bronx an hour later than she thought she would, and Nicky was already very high and very drunk.

"Where've you been, Vause? I've been waiting for you." She pounded the brunette's back with a thud. "I already got a little piece, but she fucking left because her horny friend didn't have anyone to occupy her time." Nicky held her arms out. "You were supposed to be my wingman!"

She used her thumb and forefinger to adjust her eyeglasses around the black frames. "Sorry, dinner went longer than expected."

"How'd it go?" Nicky handed her a beer.

Alex popped the can of Natural Light open. "Bill seems to really be into my mom, but I can't tell yet what his intentions are." She took a quick sip. "He has a son who stared at my tits the entire dinner, but he's not the issue."

Nicky gave her an expectant look.

"He also has a 16-year-old daughter, Piper." She took another sip of beer.

The wild-haired teen shoved her friend. "What, are you just going to leave me hanging like that?"

"She's pretentious; we're not going to get along," Alex sighed, pulling a package of cigarettes from deep inside her bag. She took one Lucky Strike out, tapping it against her thigh several times. Alex didn't light it at first; she brought it to her mouth and let it dangle between her lips as she thought about Piper. The blonde was beautiful; there was no doubting that, but she was also condescending and self-righteous.

"Are you moving in with them, or what?" Nicky pulled out her own cigarette, lit it and offered the brunette a light.

Alex leaned forward, allowing her friend to ignite the Lucky Strike. "I never really had a choice."

She puffed a stream of smoke. "You could always stay with me and my dysfunctional family."

The brunette sucked on the cigarette, holding in the toxins as long as she could before releasing smoke. "I don't know what would be worse."

"Very true," Nicky conceded with a laugh.

They joined the rest of the high school dropouts and college-aged kids in some dude's garage, and Nicky convinced her friend to play a round of beer pong. Her head wasn't in the game though; she couldn't stop thinking about Piper and her stormy blue eyes and ringlets of blonde hair that tickled her shoulders.

Alex wondered if Piper had even had sex yet—there was something so _pure_ about her, but if she had to guess, she'd assume there was something deep inside of Piper that ached to be free. Her eyes revealed curiosity, wonder, and just a hint of fear.

* * *

Two weeks passed, and school was out for winter break. Bill demanded that the kids help Diane and Alex move in, including Danny, the brother that Alex had yet to meet.

Piper was tired of hearing Cal talk about how hot Alex was and tattled on him to their father.

"It's a childish crush, honey," Bill replied around a sip of coffee. "Besides, Alex isn't attracted to an 11-year-old boy."

 _If he only knew just who Alex was attracted to._

"That isn't the point." She put a hand on her hip. "I don't want Alex to move in. You never even consulted me about this whole thing."

Bill chuckled, removing his reading glasses. "When you start paying the bills, Piper, I will consult you about every move I make. Until then, it's settled, and you're going to have to be a mature young lady about it."

"I am mature, daddy!" she complained, flinging her hand off her hip in direct contrast to her statement. "Alex is the one who isn't."

Bill didn't reply; he slipped his reading glasses back on and eyed the Money section of the _New York Times._

She folded her arms. "And where is Alex going to sleep since Danny's home from college? Surely not with me."

He lowered the paper and sighed. "It'll be a month, honey. You can either deal with it or sleep at your mother's apartment."

She had only spent two nights at her mom's two bedroom apartment and hated every minute. It was opulent and over-decorated with gold and silver lamps, marble tables and framed knock-off Matisse paintings. Carol demanded that her children eat on her grandmother's fine China for dinner. If the Chapman children counted the number of times they heard, " _Don't touch that_ ," she was convinced it would be nearly 50 times a day. There was nothing comfortable or welcoming about her mother's new place, and Piper didn't plan on staying there unless she absolutely had to due to a court order.

The U-Haul pulled up to the house, and Bill jumped out of his recliner. "Looks like they're here."

Piper let out a low huff as she followed her dad outside. There was a significant dusting of snow on the ground and flurries had begun to fall as a winter storm approached.

"It's cold out here. Let's get this done quickly." Bill greeted his sons, who had helped Diane and Alex pack and rode with Diane in the U-Haul.

Alex rolled up minutes later in her mom's old Buick. "Hey," she greeted the blonde as she exited the car, hands shoved in her leather jacket pockets.

Piper looked away. "Hi."

Alex popped the trunk, and the blonde met her in the back of the car. "How's your boyfriend?"

"He's fine." Piper squinted at her. "What do you want me to take?"

"Here." She handed the blonde two boxes. "Don't drop them."

"Where do they go?" Piper asked, struggling to see over the large crates.

Alex pulled out a few more items and balanced a carton of CDs on her knee as she shut the trunk. "They're mine, so wherever I'm sleeping."

Piper grumbled under her breath that Alex had to stay in her room and was not happy that she was the one who would have to tell the dark haired girl the news. She walked down the sidewalk and up the driveway towards the wide open front door, and suddenly, Alex was by her side.

"How'd you get here so fast?"

She stepped inside, tapping her feet on the mat as snow flung off of her black boots. "Through the yard."

Piper's mother would've blown a gasket at the fact that someone trampled on her manicured lawn, and the blonde wondered if her father would allow it. He'd always agreed with his wife that sidewalks and walkways were there for a purpose and that children should stay out of the front yard. " _The backyard is for your enjoyment_ ," they'd say.

"You should probably stay on the walkway if you know what's best for you." Piper breezed by her, feeling just a little superior that she had the opportunity to bust Alex.

"Thanks for the public service announcement," she half-laughed.

The blonde detected sarcasm in her companion's voice and hated that she had a comeback ready.

"Where am I going with this?" Alex asked, whipping her hair out of her face.

Piper clenched her jaw and closed her eyes for a second, despising the arrangements. "My room."

"Are we going to be roommates? How did I get so lucky?" She couldn't see Alex's expression but assumed she looked smug.

"You can sleep on the floor." Piper dropped the boxes. "This is _my_ bed."

The brunette lowered the carton and shoved the handle down on the suitcase she'd tugged inside. "Thanks for the hospitality."

"I don't know you well enough to share a bed," the blonde huffed, pulling a wool hat over her head.

Alex reached into her pocket and dropped her iPod on the bed. "Is that what you told your boyfriend?"

She let out an exasperated gasp. "What I talk to my boyfriend about is none of your business!"

Alex walked over to her dresser and lifted a framed photograph. "Is this him?"

"Again, none of your business." She snatched the frame and pulled it as far away from the brunette as she could. "We're going to have some rules. The first is that you don't touch my stuff. The second is that you don't ask questions about my life."

"Fine." Alex put her hands up in surrender. "Same rules apply to me."

Piper was perturbed that she wouldn't be able to ask the brunette anything, but even more upset at herself for being curious about Alex's life.

She put her hands on her hips. "Fine."

"I have to go help my mom." Alex laid her hands on Piper's shoulders to move her to the side, and the blonde tensed up, hand flying to her chest.

When Alex was gone, Piper steadied herself against the bedframe, suddenly feeling lightheaded. She blamed it on the other girl trying to get under her skin, not their brief physical contact, and Piper wouldn't stand for that.

* * *

Alex had to admit that the house was lovely—hardwood floors covered with Oriental rugs, a plush sofa in the living room with holiday throw pillows, and ceramic lamps that bounced soft light around the room. The kitchen was enormous and the fridge was stocked with everything Alex could ever want—Nutella, eggs, lettuce, cheese, grapes, orange juice and beer. It was in stark contrast to her old refrigerator, which never had more than a carton of milk, jelly and butter inside.

On their first night at the Chapman residence, Bill ordered pizza after a busy day of unpacking. Alex had eaten her fair share of Pizza Hut, but she and her mom never had it delivered, because they'd have to tip the driver. " _Why would we order something that we can pick up ourselves?_ " Diane would ask.

But on that night, Diane raved about the convenience of delivered pizza, and Alex rolled her eyes.

By 11 o'clock, Piper decided to go to bed. She'd been texting Polly & Larry all evening anyway, paying little attention to her brothers or her new house guests.

Bill stood, stretching his back. "Piper, please show Alex where the towels are in case she'd like to take a bath or wash her face tonight."

"I already did," she lied.

Alex let out a short breath, amazed by the blonde's lack of hospitality and general superiority complex.

Bill extended his hand to Diane to help her up. "Very well. You two get a good night of sleep."

"Good night, hon." Diane kissed her daughter on the cheek. "Sleep well."

"Ok," was all she could muster. She wasn't going to lie like her counterpart and say, "I will." She had no idea how she'd sleep in a foreign bed with another girl next to her. (She had no intention of sleeping on the floor.)

Alex waited a solid hour before washing up and joining Piper in her room. She stepped inside, closing the door behind her and allowed her eyes to adjust to the darkness. Piper's was the teenage bedroom that most girls dreamed about—pale pink walls, pinups of hunky actors & singers on the walls, a few stuffed animals on a shelf, perhaps memories that were still too recent to let go, and two bookcases filled from top to bottom with books.

The brunette walked over to one of the shelves and read a few spines as best as she could in the dim light—Edith Wharton, J.R.R. Tolkien, Agatha Christie, Charles Dickens, and J.D. Salinger all sat there, begging to be read. She'd get good use out of the girl's collection, though she'd read several of the novels already. Perhaps that would be their connection if there was one to be made.

She pulled the covers back enough to slip under them, wearing her flannel pajamas that were a little too small but still comfortable. Piper made a noise that sounded more like a kitten than a human, and Alex grinned as she proceeded to pull the sheets over her body, staying as far away from the slumbering blonde as she could.

There was a part of Alex that wanted to turn and wrap her arms around the other girl—this was all new to her—this living in a decent home and having a pseudo-family. Alex didn't feel settled, and the warmth of someone's body against hers would've been a soothing comfort. If she'd done that—snuggled with Piper, she'd probably be banished to the cold basement with nothing more than a sleeping bag and pillow, so she closed her eyes and tried not to move.


	3. Chapter 3

Another three weeks passed, and Piper knew that Alex had shared a bed with her every night. The brunette waited until the she'd fallen asleep, and then climbed in the bed, not tossing much at all throughout the night. By the time the blonde awoke in the morning, Alex was already gone.

Piper convinced herself that she was just being kind and generous, allowing Alex to sleep under her luxurious Macy's bedding. There was no amount of joy or exhilaration the blonde felt with Alex lying next to her, except maybe the occasional moment when her companion's toes ran down her calf in the middle of the night.

Alex enrolled at the same public high school as Piper, but they didn't hang out or see each other very often except in English class. Alex had been placed in AP English Literature, which happened to be the same class that Piper was enrolled in (she was the sole junior in the course.)

Piper noticed that Alex didn't pay attention in class, but she always had a book open—usually a novel instead of the textbook the class was using. When the teacher called on her, the brunette often provided an inspiring answer to even the most difficult curricular questions. The blonde determined that Alex was highly intelligent, but she didn't apply herself in school. She'd quickly found "the cool kids" and often skipped class with them and smoked under the bleachers next to the football field. Piper wondered why, if the brunette smoked, she never smelled like cigarettes. That would be the end of her sharing a bed with the other girl for sure.

One day, Alex wasn't in English class, and when Piper got home, she found the dark haired girl in her bedroom, puffing on a Lucky Strike out of the cracked window.

Piper rushed inside, slamming her bedroom door. "What are you doing?"

"Smoking. What does it look like?" The brunette flicked the butt out of the window.

Piper inhaled a deep breath, sniffing the air. "It smells like smoke in here!"

Alex waved her hand, brushing the stench outside. "I didn't think you'd be home so early."

"I didn't feel like jogging today." She walked over to the window, opening it fully. "Don't do this ever again, Alex. I've overlooked...some things..." she paused and looked away as she felt a blush crawl up her neck at the thought of sharing a bed with the brunette. "But I won't stand for my bedroom smelling like an ashtray."

Alex stood and tucked the pack of Lucky Strikes into her back pocket. "Danny is leaving tomorrow, so you won't have to worry about that after today."

Piper had forgotten that Alex only needed to share the room temporarily. She was right—her brother, Danny, was going back to college, which meant that the dark haired girl could have her own room down the hallway. _Thank God,_ she muttered loud enough for Alex to hear.

What troubled the young blonde was that there was a pang in her chest at the idea that she and Alex wouldn't share a bed...err, a _room_ any longer.

Alex threw on her jacket. "Can I borrow your notes from class today?"

"No, you may not." Piper used a book to swat at the smoky air, directing it out of the open window. "Why didn't you go to school?"

She zipped her jacket. "Do you always do what's expected of you, Piper?"

She had to consider that for a moment. "Yeah, I do."

Alex's lips turned up as a soft laugh escaped. "Why?"

Piper shrugged, and then busied herself with closing the window and adjusting the wooden blinds. "Because I like following rules."

"Do you?" The dark haired girl pulled on her black Dr. Martens. "I think you're interested in pushing boundaries, but you haven't had the right opportunity."

"You know nothing about me," she tried for a decisive voice, but it didn't quite register the way Piper had wanted, so she looked away.

"I know a lot more than you think." Alex stood and walked out of the bedroom before the blonde had a chance to inquire what, exactly, Alex thought she knew about her.

She instantly felt alone in her bedroom, and before she had a chance to reflect on the reasons behind that, she picked up the phone to call Larry. She needed to get the hell out of her own house.

* * *

Piper didn't come home that night, and for a moment, Alex worried about her whereabouts. Just as she was about to casually enquire, Bill knocked on the bedroom door and peeked inside.

"Looks like you have the room to yourself," he said. "Piper's spending the night at a friend's house."

Alex jerked an earbud out. "Ok."

Bill exited, and the brunette hopped off the bed. She took a stroll around the younger girl's room, touching things here and there. A part of her wanted to open a drawer or two, maybe read one of her notebooks, but her better angels won, and she didn't touch anything that wasn't already on display. She picked up the framed picture of Piper and her boyfriend, pulling it close to her face and snickering. _Fucking nerd_.

Alex didn't have to do much sleuthing at school to learn that Larry Bloom was an average student on the newspaper staff. He didn't have the machismo that she figured Piper might go for, and Alex wondered if the primary reason that the blonde was attracted to Larry was because he was a writer. She had already learned that Piper loved to write poetry and short stories, so it wouldn't be a stretch for her to latch onto a fellow writer on the newspaper staff. Piper was the Editor-in-Chief, and Alex assumed she liked telling people what to do, and perhaps, how to write. Maybe this kid, _Larry_ , could do just that—follow instructions and put pen to paper.

She flopped on the bed and made a few phone calls to friends in New York, asking if they'd be willing to come to Greenwich the next night. She wasn't quite prepared to ask her mom or Bill if she could have friends spend the night, but she was feeling particularly horny. It had been months since she'd made out with a girl, and summer was the last time she'd had sex. She figured it wouldn't harm anyone to invite a girl over after dinner to hang out. Besides, she knew that her mom and Bill were going with Cal to a Knicks game in the City that night, which meant she'd have the place to herself as long as Piper was going out. (The blonde hadn't spent a Friday evening at home in the time they lived together, so she thought that night would be no different.)

The brunette _did_ go to school on Friday, because she had two quizzes that she needed to pass unless her mother would likely yank her out of school to get her GED. As it was, she wasn't earning the top grades that her mom always thought she should.

After school, she met Nicky and a couple of other friends with fake IDs at a gay bar called Diggers in Thompsonville a few miles away from Greenwich. It didn't take long for Alex to zero in on the girl she'd take home that night. With a wink and a smile, Alex had Cindy, a 23-year-old lesbian, in the palm of her hand. They played a few rounds of darts, drank a couple of pitchers of whatever was cheapest on tap, and then Nicky dropped her and Cindy off at the Chapman home.

"Wow, this is a nice place," Cindy said as she looked around the living room.

"Let me make sure no one's here," Alex whispered. She walked around the house, calling to see if anyone was home, and when the coast was clear, she drug Cindy to Danny's bedroom. This was one way to christen her new room.

They started making out, and Cindy ran her hands under Alex's shirt. It had been a long time since the brunette was this turned on, though the woman she was with hardly mattered. She plugged her iPod into the small speaker and played Guns N Roses, _Patience,_ before sitting on the bed and tugging the other woman on top of her as they rid each other of their shirts and bras.

The kissing was fine and Cindy's hands were nimble, but Alex couldn't erase the image of Piper every time she shut her eyes. It frustrated her to no end—she wasn't even enticed by the blonde. Of course Piper was attractive, what with her dimples and tempestuous blue eyes, but her personality and "holier than thou" attitude did nothing to make her attractive to Alex.

Alex rolled onto her back and removed her glasses. "Give me a second, will you?" She rubbed her eyes and tried to think of the redhead in bed next to her. Cindy had voluptuous breasts and a decent ass. Alex convinced herself that those assets were better than Piper's flat chest and wiry, teenage body.

Cindy kissed her way up Alex's stomach until their lips met. "Was that long enough of a wait?"

The brunette chuckled. "Yeah."

As she raised her head to kiss the redhead, she heard a tap on the door and saw a familiar blonde head peek inside.

Alex squinted at the intruder. "What the _fuck_ , Piper?"

"Oh, my God! Sorry, I…" The blonde seemed rooted in place. "That was…"

"Rude of you?" Alex finished her sentence. "Get the hell out!"

Ignoring the brunette's command, Piper opened her mouth. "I don't think you should have a…a _woman_ in Danny's room."

Alex shrugged back into her t-shirt, leaving her bra at the foot of the bed. "First of all, this is _my_ room now!" She handed Cindy her blouse. "Second, you don't get to tell me what to do!"

The blonde folded her arms. "My father would not approve."

This infuriated Alex. She stormed across the room and turned off the music, sighing loudly. Alex could feel her face turning crimson as anger bubbled to the surface. She ran a hand through her hair and spun around to face Cindy, who was busy buttoning her shirt. "I'm sorry, but now might not be the best time for us to…get to know each other." She shot a death glare at Piper. "There's a bus station two blocks away. Here's some money." She reached into her back pocket and handed her $3.

"But…" Cindy tried.

Alex clenched her jaw, annoyed that Piper still hadn't left the room, but she tried not to make a scene in front of a potential easy lover. "Not tonight," she said firmly.

The redhead nodded and scooted passed Piper, who took a step further into the room.

"What the _fuck_ do you think you're doing?" Alex shouted once Cindy left.

The blonde kept her arms folded and shrugged. "Saving you from getting in trouble."

She reached for her glasses and shoved them on her face. "Our parents are at a basketball game with Cal that'll last another hour! Besides, you're never home on a Friday night!"

"My plans changed," she said haughtily with her chin up high.

"What I do has _nothing_ to do with you!" she yelled again. "Leave me the hell alone and mind your own fucking business." Alex stormed passed the blonde and walked down the hallway into the kitchen.

Nevermind that Piper had just walked in on a make out session where both women were naked from the waist up—minutes earlier, she'd been fantasizing about kissing _Piper_ instead of Cindy. That was _not_ healthy; she needed a drink.

The blonde was hot on her trail. "What are you looking for?"

Alex twisted her head around, hands holding two cabinets open. "What don't you understand about minding your own business?"

"I might not know you well, Alex," she took a step closer. "But I know you like to live on the edge, and believe it or not, I want to save you from making a colossal mistake."

She shut the cabinets and spun around to face the other girl. "And what mistake would that be?"

"It's not a singular mistake, actually." Piper put her hands on her hips. "It's a string of errors that will not only get you in trouble with my father, but might also land you in jail."

Alex tossed her head back with laughter, but deep down she hated that Piper had somewhat figured her out. "I haven't done anything illegal that you know of."

The blonde lifted her eyebrows. "You're 17, and the woman you were about to have sex with was at least 21. _That_ is illegal."

"Is that what this is about?" Alex pursed her lips to avoid the smirk that was about to surface. "The fact that I was about to sleep with a _woman_?"

Piper averted her eyes, and the brunette knew she'd gotten to her.

"You wonder what it's like, don't you?" She took a step closer to Piper, and now they were mere inches apart. "They're soft and smooth. Kissing a girl is so much more sensuous than kissing a boy."

The blonde swallowed hard. "I didn't wonder that," her voice was thick, betraying her words.

"Well then, you can store that tidbit away for future reference." Alex ran her fingertips down Piper's arm before turning towards the oven and smirking. She could see the blonde's reflection in the glass as she watched Piper touch her arm.

"I won't tell my father about this little incident if you promise not to bring any more women into your bedroom."

Alex found a bottle of vodka. "Has Larry been in _your_ bedroom?"

"Yes, but…" she protested.

"I don't see why this is any different." She unscrewed the cap.

"It's different because you're gay!" Piper blurted out.

Alex stopped mid-pour and looked at her companion. "You have something against lesbians?"

"No, but my dad does," she replied nervously.

This was news to her. Perhaps Piper _was_ really trying to protect her, but there was no way it was _just_ that, the brunette thought. Piper was a curious girl who seemed to seek answers a little less straightforwardly than Alex did.

She blinked heavily. "My lifestyle and my choices are none of your father's business."

"When you live under his roof, they are," the blonde shot back.

"Look, kid." She reached into the refrigerator for the carton of Tropicana. "I'll be 18 in two months, and then he can't tell me what to do. I'll graduate in May, and my friends and I will rent an apartment in Manhattan." She stirred the screwdriver with her finger, and then popped that digit between her lips. "So if you can keep your mouth shut, your father won't know a damn thing about my life, and I'll be out of your hair before you know it."

Piper stared at Alex's mouth. "If you want to make poor choices, go right ahead." She blinked a few times before walking out of the kitchen but turned around before fully exiting. "Just don't let me catch you making them."

Alex took another long sip of the vodka drink, and it stung her throat on the way down.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The next night, Piper went on a date with Larry, but she was in a sour mood the entirety of their dinner.

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong?" Larry asked around his burger. "You're not eating your fries, and that's usually your favorite thing at Juicy's."

She popped a French fry into her mouth for show and chewed it slowly while trying to come up with the right thing to say. "Do you know any gay people?"

"What?" He chuckled. "Where'd that come from?"

She shrugged. "I'm just asking."

Larry looked deep in thought. "No, I don't think so. Do you?"

"Maybe." Piper tried leaving it at that and took a bite of her veggie burger.

"What do you mean, 'maybe'?"

She finished chewing. "There's someone I know…she might be gay."

For a split second, Piper wondered if she was referring exclusivelyto Alex.

"Do I know her?" He sipped his Coca-Cola.

"No." The blonde cursed herself for bringing it up. "How's your burger?"

"Delicious," he said with his mouth full. "Yours?"

"It's fine." She took another bite, and then swallowed. "I want to go home after this."

"What about the movie? You're the one who chose it," he whined.

"As you can tell, I'm not in the best mood, Larry." She wiped her mouth. "Maybe I'm coming down with something."

"I hope not, because then I'll be sick." Larry sounded dejected. "I better be able to get a refund on these tickets."

"I'll pay for mine." Piper dug in her purse and handed him a $10 bill, and he took it. That did not endear him to her.

On the drive back to her house, Piper kept to herself. Larry tried holding her hand, but she pretended to scratch her head. She was running out of things to do to occupy her hands so she wouldn't have to hold his as the drive seemed to take longer than usual.

He wiggled his eyebrows. "Do I get a kiss good night?"

She opened the car door. "If I'm getting sick, I wouldn't want to infect you. Good night. Thank you for the burger."

With that, Piper went inside and pretended not to search for Alex. She plopped on the sofa and said hello to Diane.

"Where is everyone?" The blonde twirled her hair, acting indifferent.

"Your father's finishing up some work in the study, and Cal is at your mom's place tonight." She muted a _Law & Order_ rerun.

"What about Alex?" she asked as casually as she could.

Diane turned to face the young girl. "She's at work."

"Work?" Piper creased her brow. "Alex got a _job_?"

"She sure did," she said proudly. "She's worked since she was old enough to be legally hired. Alex likes earning her own money. I wish she'd save some of it, but if you ask me, she blows it all on cigarettes and music." Diane whispered that last part as if that was a secret the two of them could share.

"I didn't know that." Piper leaned forward, her casual stance now forgotten. "Where's she working?"

She took a sip of hot tea. "At that restaurant your dad took us to—Salvatore's."

"She was hired as a waitress?" Piper recognized the shock in her voice.

"Are you kidding me?" Diane laughed. "My kid could _not_ serve the public! She's a valet. Alex got her Connecticut driver's license last week—she had to miss a day of school to deal with the hassle of switching out her New York one—and they hired her the very next day." She took another sip of tea. "If you ask me, she's not the best behind the wheel, so I hope they know what they're getting themselves into."

 _So that was why she wasn't at school last week._

Piper smiled. "Yeah, she parked next to me the other day at school, and her wheels were over the white line."

Diane gave her an _I told you so_ look. "She can parallel park the hell out of my wide-ass Buick, but ask her to pull into in a regular parking spot and it's like she's retarded."

That caused the blonde to let out a full-blown laugh.

"I shouldn't say that word," Diane quickly recovered. " _Mentally challenged_ is probably more politically correct." The older Vase stood. "I'm going to make some popcorn. Will you have some so I don't eat the whole damn bag on my own?"

"Sure." She followed Alex's mom into the kitchen.

Piper couldn't help but like Diane. Alex was fortunate to have such a fun, caring mother. She wished she could say the same about her own mom. Truth be told, she didn't like her mom and thought that the feeling was mutual. Carol hadn't called or texted her in two weeks. It was no skin off Piper's back—she had everything she needed at her father's house.

* * *

Alex didn't apply for the valet parking job solely to earn money. That was the primary reason, of course, but she figured once she established herself with the other valets at Salvatore's, they could cover for each other while one of them borrowed a car for the evening. She'd have her pick of Porsches, Mercedes, and Jaguars. That would surely impress her friends back in the Bronx.

It only took until the end of March for Alex to convince the entire valet staff that hers was a good idea. One of the guys, Brandon, knew how to dial back the odometer, so they could write down the mileage when the guest entered the restaurant and adjust it back to where it was supposed to be at the end of their joy ride. The brunette spent the better part of three weeks, timing the average dinner so that they could take the right car at the right time. She discovered that on weeknights, most dinners lasted about an hour and a half, unless it was a large group, but on weekends, they were closer to two hours.

The valet guys were too chicken shit to be the first to attempt the heist, so Alex coolly accepted the challenge. She'd chosen a frequent diner's Lexus, because she knew he'd spend an hour at the bar, and then have dinner with his wife for another hour.

She was too nervous to drive the car to meet Nicky and the gang in New York, but Alex saw nothing wrong with being a few miles away from Salvatore's on her first outing. One of the valets was supposed to text her as soon as he saw Mr. Henderson near the hostess stand after dinner. The brunette trained the valets how to make small talk that sounded somewhat intelligent, which would allow at least a five minute grace period in which to return the vehicle.

On that first evening out, Alex took the Lexus to a convenience store in Glenville, which was two and a half miles away from Salvatore's. She changed out of her Salvatore's monogramed polo and threw on a black Iron Maiden t-shirt before getting out of the car to buy a pack of cigarettes with her valet tips.

The brunette browsed the junk food aisle as a chocolate craving hit hard. As she was deciding between a Snickers and an Almond Joy, she heard turmoil from the entryway of the convenience store.

"Hey, you! Stop there immediately!" The Pakistani clerk darted from behind the counter and apprehended someone.

Alex stepped into the open space and locked eyes with the perpetrator, who was holding a six pack of Heineken.

" _No fucking way_ ," she mumbled with a smirk as she approached the scene. "Hey, I hadn't paid for this yet." She grabbed the beer from a very scared and shocked Piper, and then faced the sales clerk. "I'm sorry about this. I told her to pick up the beer while I got a couple of candy bars, and she didn't realize that I hadn't paid yet." Alex held out the two chocolate snacks in her hand as proof. "It won't happen again."

Piper swallowed hard, eyes darting between Alex and the clerk.

"Do you have ID?" The irritated clerk asked.

"Of course, I do." She gave Piper a look, and then proceeded to the counter. Alex pulled out her fake ID and the $16 she'd made in tips already that night. "I'm really sorry about this."

He crossed his brows. "That'll be $14.89."

She handed him the rumpled bills. "Keep the change."

Alex took the beer and candy outside to find Piper pacing in front of the ice machine. "Don't look at me, and don't say a word. Act like this didn't happen."

The blonde glanced at her. "Alex, I…"

"What did I just fucking say?" The brunette gritted her teeth.

Piper kept walking, a mere half-step behind presumably so that Alex could lead the way.

She pressed the fob to unlock the doors of the Lexus, and then walked to the driver's side. "Get in."

Piper opened the door. "Whose car is this?"

"So help me God!" She got in and started the engine. "If you say another word before we leave this parking lot, I'm going to have to find a way to shut you up."

She could see a tiny grin register on her companion's mouth and was tempted to kiss it right off her pretty little face.

Alex drove two blocks and parked in the back of a Target near a dumpster, and turned off the engine. "What the _fuck_ were you thinking?"

"I wasn't thinking; not the way I usually do." She lowered her head, and then met Alex's eyes. "Larry and his buddies dared me to steal a six pack, and they told me about Ralph's Convenience Store where a bunch of their friends steal beer all the time, and…"

"You did this for _Larry_?" Her eyebrows shot up. "He's too scared to steal, so he sends his _girlfriend_ to do the dirty work?"

"You're the one who told me I always do what's expected of me!" she complained.

"Piper, there are many ways to live on the edge," Alex sighed. "Stealing isn't one of them."

The blonde looked out of the passenger window and then back at Alex. "Then whose car is this?"

"That isn't the point…"

"The hell it isn't!" Piper began. "You can't tell me not to steal when you've clearly taken this vehicle from someone!"

She closed her eyes. "I'm _borrowing_ it."

It didn't take long for the blonde to piece it together. "From Salvatore's?"

She pushed her glasses higher on her nose. "It's not a big deal, and we're not talking about me right now. We're talking about _you_."

"Alex, that's _stealing_. People put their trust in you as a valet, and you're abusing that trust," she replied with a knitted brow.

"There's no question I'd get fired over something like this, but the likelihood of going to _jail_ , which you could have done if I hadn't rescued your ass, is slim." The brunette shrugged. "If you want booze, Piper, ask me."

"Seriously?"

"I won't buy it for your friends, but I'll get it for you… _occasionally_." She tried holding back the grin that began forming on her face.

"I haven't drank beer before," she confessed. "I mean, I've pretended to sip it, but I haven't had a full one."

Alex reached into the back seat and accidentally brushed Piper's shoulder with her hand. She ceased her movement and looked at the blonde. Their eyes met, and Piper leaned in. They were so close that Alex could feel her companion's cinnamon breath tickle her chin. There was an electric current between them for that fleeting moment, but Piper pulled away, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Alex lowered half of her body over the armrest to pull two Heineken's out of the bag.

She handed one to Piper and quickly recovered. "The first thing you need to know about beer is not to buy the expensive stuff on a teenager's budget."

She examined the label. "This is what my dad drinks, so I figured it would be good."

"Exactly." Alex used her ring to pop open the bottle. "Your dad has money. If _you're_ paying for it, get Milwaukee's Best or Natural Light. It's cheap and goes down easy." The dark haired girl opened Piper's longneck and handed it back to her. "To your first real beer, juvy."

Piper tapped her bottle against Alex's and smiled. "I'm not a juvenile delinquent."

The brunette put her finger and thumb together as a sort of measurement. "You were this close though."

The two sat in silence for a minute, both staring out the windshield, sipping their Heinekens.

Piper swallowed and grimaced at the taste. "Can I ask you a question?"

The brunette lifted her eyebrow, keeping her eyes trained on a tall evergreen tree in the distance. "You can _ask_ , but I can't promise to answer."

"Have you ever thought of me the way you think of other girls?" Piper's voice sounded shy—not a word Alex would use to describe the blonde under normal circumstances.

"I don't think of other _girls_ ," Alex replied around a chuckle. "I think of women."

"But you're a girl," the blonde tried, sipping her Heineken.

"I'm a young adult." Alex drained her beer and smirked. "And I've never been attracted to girls younger than me. Every person I've been with has been at least a few years older—most by, like, five or ten years."

Piper seemed to chew on that information before speaking again. "Nice try changing the focus of my question, but that won't work on me."

Alex closed her eyes and leaned her head against the headrest.

"Have you ever thought of me the way you think of other girls… _or women_ ," she repeated, her tone much more self-assured this time.

The brunette grinned, eyes still shut. "I wouldn't touch that question with a ten foot pole."

"Your lack of response makes me think you'd answer affirmatively."

"Then let me ask you a question." Head still against the back of the seat, Alex swiveled her neck to look at her companion. "Why does it matter?"

Piper averted her eyes and toyed with one of the bottle caps. "I've never thought of myself as attractive. I mean, I know Larry likes me, but he's…"

"Simple?" Alex tried.

"No, he's not the kind of guy that most girls go for. He's pretty smart and he's a good writer. I think he's cute, but I don't know…" She shrugged.

"He's an easy catch for you," Alex finished for her.

She shrugged again.

"If you're asking me if I think you're attractive, that's an entirely different question."

The blonde's chin almost touched her chest, but her eyes looked up at her like a puppy waiting for a treat. "Do you?"

Alex couldn't stop herself from reaching out and touching Piper's cheek. "Yes," she whispered. "I think you're attractive." She felt her voice hitch and didn't like it one bit, but instead of covering up, she allowed her companion to be the first to react.

Piper closed her eyes and leaned into Alex's hand, covering her wrist with her long fingers.

The brunette's phone vibrated loudly, and she was forced to pull back and pick up the device. "Fuck, I have to go."

The blonde adjusted in her seat and ran her palms against her jeans. "I should probably head back to the party."

"I'll drop you off at the convenience store to get your car." Alex started the engine. "But maybe you should just go home. Let Larry and his friends wonder if you successfully stole the beer."

"Ok," she said quietly. "Thanks for this, Alex."

"For what?" the brunette let out a short laugh.

"Just listening…oh, and for saving my ass." If she had to guess, Alex would assume that the blonde was blushing, but it was too dark to tell.

They arrived at the gas station and Alex put the car in park. "See you at home, juvy."

Piper smiled. "Yeah, see you."

The brunette made sure that Piper got into her car and drove away before she pressed the gas full throttle to make it back in time for Brandon to reset the odometer and give the Lexus back to its rightful owner. She only had time to think practically at that point, so her thoughts about what occurred between her and Piper would have to be put on hold for the time being.


	5. Chapter 5

Thank you to my beta, Nicky, for everything, especially making this chapter far better than it originally was.

* * *

Piper's heart raced as she got behind the wheel and drove aimlessly out of Glenville. Her breathing became erratic, and she had to turn down Stillman Lane and pull over next to a small park so she could control her body's reaction to what had just happened.

 _What the fuck_ , she mumbled to herself, head bowed and hands gripping the steering wheel. Piper was intrigued by Alex—that much was certain—but she wasn't _attracted to her_ …or was she? Piper had never considered kissing another girl before that moment, but in Alex's "borrowed" car, she'd _considered_ it.

Maybe, Piper thought, she was just horny because she and Larry had gone to second base, and she wanted more. She wanted to be touched intimately; trouble was, Piper didn't think it was _Larry_ who she wanted to do the touching.

The blonde wondered if she hadn't pulled away, would Alex have closed the distance between them? What would her reaction have been? She shook her head and concentrated on lowering her pulse. When her breathing was mostly back to normal, she drove home and waited for Alex to arrive.

She waited and waited and waited, busying herself with homework and occasionally watching _American Masters_ on PBS.

At midnight, Piper fell asleep on the sofa halfway through Chapter 8 of _A People's History of the United States_. It wasn't until her father woke her 30 minutes later when she finally retreated to her bed.

* * *

After her shift at Salvatore's, Alex needed some time to contemplate what had happened between her and Piper and consider her next course of action. The risk of not turning Mr. Henderson's car in on time was trivial compared to the consequences of kissing Piper.

She didn't have a car of her own, so one of the other valets (who thought she was a genius for devising the car borrowing plan) dropped her off at home at midnight. Instead of going inside, she went around to the backyard and sat on the ground by the pool. If it had been warm enough, Alex might've gone for a dip, but she settled for watching the waves ripple when she threw a pebble into the turquoise water.

Alex knew that if Piper had leaned even an inch more towards her in the car, she would've kissed the blonde. What she _didn't_ know was if the move would've been mere instinct or if she was actually attracted to Piper.

She grabbed a stick next to her and for every piece she broke off, she listed something she liked about Piper: She's well-read, has a gorgeous smile, tall, going to eventually fill out nicely, smart, confident (for a 16-year-old), and isn't afraid to express herself. Alex grabbed another stick and listed the opposite—things she didn't like about the blonde: She's bossy, self-righteous, a bit egotistical, young & naive, and has a boyfriend. That last one, Alex could fix, but the other stuff was likely ingrained in her companion's DNA.

Glancing at her watch, she noticed it was going on 1 a.m. Alex got up and stretched, and then went inside where everyone, she assumed, had gone to bed long ago. She padded to her bedroom and changed into a lightweight pair of boxers and a black tank top. Her bed was still unmade from that morning, and it just didn't seem inviting. Alex had told her mom she hated the scratchy sheets, and Diane promised to buy new ones soon.

She was exhausted to be sure, but she was also restless. A glass of milk sometimes calmed her down enough to fall asleep, so she journeyed quietly into the kitchen to pour a tall glass of skim milk. It never escaped her that Piper was two doors down, sleeping in her soft, warm, comfortable bed. The best nights of sleep she'd had in the Chapman home were when she was in the other girl's bed.

She rinsed the glass and shoved it into the dishwasher before turning off the light and using the wall as her guide back to Danny's room (She didn't think she would ever consider it her _own_.) Alex paused outside of Piper's door, which was cracked enough for her to peek inside. The lull of the ceiling fan prevented her from hearing Piper's deep breathing, but she could see the blonde's sleeping form. Her hair was splayed on the pillow like golden strands of silk, and her body was turned to the side, facing the window that Alex had smoked out of more times than Piper ever realized. A smile touched Alex's lips as she watched the girl sleep.

Something stirred within her and she decided to go inside. The door creaked, but the sleeping teen didn't wake. Alex stood next to the bed, thinking for a moment how creepy it would've been if Piper had woken up just then, so she slid under the covers next to her.

"Mmm." A noise escaped Piper's mouth almost as if she was in the middle of a dream.

Alex needed to adjust her position and didn't mean to shake the bed as much as she did when turning on her side, facing the same direction as Piper.

Without warning, the blonde reached behind her with her right arm. Alex grabbed her forearm, and Piper moved that same arm across her body, dragging Alex with her. The brunette scooted closer, effectively spooning the girl. She heard Piper sigh and wondered if she was still asleep. If that was the case, who did she think was behind her?

A part of Alex wanted to speak up, but she kept quiet, burying her head in Piper's pillow and smelling the minty shampoo in her hair. They were impossibly close, and the brunette felt her insides doing somersaults as wetness pooled between her legs. She wasn't stupid enough to touch herself—or better yet, move Piper's hand in a position to touch her—but she knew that she'd have to _take care of herself_ in the shower the next morning.

* * *

The next morning, Alex awoke in a fit—she had no idea where she was or whose bed she was in. She quickly sat up and looked from side to side, and then it dawned on her that she'd joined Piper in bed in the wee hours of the morning.

 _Piper_.

She looked to her right, and the blonde wasn't there. Alex put her hand on the sheets to see if they were still warm, but they were chilled, which meant that Piper must've gotten up a while ago. She glanced at the girl's pillow and saw a note lying on it. Alex picked it up and squinted as she read it without her eyeglasses.

 _I liked that more than I probably should have._

 _Piper_

She couldn't help the wide grin that spread across her face. Alex didn't know where things might be headed with Piper, but she liked this _little thing_ that was developing. She was accustomed to making things happen when it came to women, but Alex decided that allowing this one to ripen organically was the best course of action.

She jumped out of bed and headed down the hallway, putting her ear close to the bathroom door to see if her companion was inside. When she didn't hear anything, she proceeded to her room. She gathered her underwear and towel before going back to the bathroom to shower and get ready for her Saturday.

* * *

Piper had to be at school by 8 a.m. that Saturday morning for the school's quarterly newspaper deadline. Her entire staff had to be there, too, so that they could put the final touches on stories, photos and captions. The other three times they'd met on weekends, it took them a little over six hours to get the job done. Piper hoped they'd be much more efficient this time.

She sat alone in the computer lab and reflected on the night she'd had, starting with Larry and his friends convincing her to steal beer, to Alex saving her ass at the convenience store, to sharing a Heineken in the borrowed Lexus, to Alex spooning her all night. Shivers rolled down Piper's spine just thinking about the brunette's arms wrapped around her—one under her pillow, the other around her waist.

Inside of an hour ago, Piper had hesitated before writing a note to a slumbering Alex, but she threw caution to the wind and decided it would be a nice gesture. If the dark haired girl had enough guts to crawl into bed with her, she could surely muster up the courage to write a thank you note of sorts.

Larry bumbled in, rousing Piper from her reverie. "Hey, why didn't you come back to the party last night?"

She twisted her head around. "I didn't feel like it."

"Didn't steal the beer, did you?" he asked with a smug smile.

"That was a rotten thing for you to ask me to do." She turned back to her laptop, which she realized wasn't even powered on.

He threw his backpack on the floor and leaned over to kiss her, but the blonde pulled away.

"You're the one who took us up on the challenge." He plopped in the desk across from her. "What's been with you these last few months? You never want to kiss or hold hands. It's like I'm not even your boyfriend."

 _We can change that pretty quickly_.

She ran a hand through her already tousled hair. "I can't have this conversation right now, Larry."

Truth be told, her boyfriend had been aggravating her more than usual over the past few months. He was a total follower and rarely stood up for himself. Piper couldn't recall a time when Larry had an individually formed opinion, and that was particularly annoying to her for some reason.

Another three students shuffled in, all looking like they hadn't gotten any sleep. "Hey."

"We need to get to work." Piper stood and passed out third and fourth drafts of the articles she'd edited. This was the last issue of the newspaper for that academic year, and she wanted it to be great.

* * *

Alex learned that the blonde had to be at school all day for newspaper, and she knew that Larry was on staff. She had a message to convey to him and didn't want to wait until Monday to do so.

In order to borrow her mom's car for the morning, she offered to pick Cal up from his friend's house and bring him home. Diane agreed to the deal, and Bill was appreciative of Alex's gesture.

She did as promised, and by 10:30 that morning, Alex found herself in the school parking lot, plotting her actions. She stood next to the car and lit a cigarette, puffing out a ring of smoke in the warmer than usual May air. She scanned the landscape around her, realizing that in two weeks, she'd graduate from high school. She and Nicky had plans to rent an apartment in Manhattan, but Alex only had about $1,000 saved so far, which would probably pay for her half of one month's rent in the City.

All-in-all, she was content with her life, but the future frightened her. Deep down, Alex felt like she was cheating herself for not pursuing college, but she recognized that she'd put herself in that position. She could probably enroll in community college, but that wasn't what she wanted. The brunette didn't enjoy being told what to read, and then tested on it. She was a voracious reader and was on top of current events; shouldn't that be enough? Hell, she was probably smarter than 99% of the seniors in her class—that had to count for something.

Alex balanced the cigarette between her lips, locked the car with the key, and proceeded to the covered walkway just outside of the computer lab where the newspaper staff met. Her blood boiled at the thought of Larry being the one who tried to get Piper to _live a little_. Alex considered herself a good judge of character, and she knew that the blonde was aching to step out of her comfort zone, but she was going about it all wrong. Attempting to steal beer? It was a foolish errand thought up by her idiot, undeserving boyfriend. Piper didn't need to impress Larry; quite the contrary.

Alex suddenly stopped in her tracks as it dawned on her: _She wanted to be the one to help Piper come alive_. She creased her brow, and then a timid grin formed on her face. Somehow, the blonde had infiltrated her senses. A sudden warmth streamed through her veins like settling into a hot bath, and Alex realized that she liked Piper more than she probably should.

It took a moment for her to admit to herself that she'd been jealous of Larry. Not only was he (unintentionally) trying to get Piper to come out of her shell, but he was able to hold her hand and kiss her. Alex clenched her jaw at the thought of him caressing Piper. She erased the mental image of Larry & Piper and replaced it with the memory of spooning Piper in bed. Another smile surfaced as her feelings became a little clearer—Larry didn't deserve Piper— _she_ did. Alex blushed at the thought of _liking_ Piper and shook her head at the odd timing of her realization.

Before the brunette could examine her feelings further, Larry and his buddy walked out of the classroom.

She stomped out her cigarette. "Hey, can I talk to you?"

Larry looked at his friend, and then back at Alex. "Me?"

"Yeah." She walked towards him.

He nodded for his friend to go wherever he was headed. "You're Piper's step-sister, right?"

"Not quite," she let out an amused breath. "I'm Alex, and you're a pussy."

He jutted his head back. "Excuse me?"

She took a step closer. "You sent your girlfriend to steal beer for you? That's a pussy thing to do."

He lowered his head, rightfully embarrassed. "How is that any of your business?"

Alex towered over him. "I'm _making_ it my business."

"Why?" He gulped.

"If you don't have the balls to steal your own fucking beer, or you're not smart enough to get a fake ID, that's not Piper's problem." She narrowed her eyes. "Your self-indulgent prank could've landed her in jail."

Larry looked up at her with anxious eyes and swallowed hard. "Message received." He turned to walk away.

"Hey!" The brunette seized Larry's shoulder and spun him around to face her. "If you hurt Piper or get her in trouble in any way, I will make you pay."

"Sorry. We were just having a little fun last night." He shrugged, nervous eyes darting from right to left. "I didn't realize she'd make a big deal about it."

"She didn't make a big deal about it." Alex shook her head, not backing down. " _I am_." She stared at Larry until he looked away.

Alex turned to walk back to her car, but after a few steps, she twisted her neck around and smirked. "Oh, and by the way, Piper _did_ steal the beer, but she shared it with me." She unlocked her mom's car and stepped inside, noticing that Larry was still rooted to the spot where she'd left him, mouth slightly agape.

* * *

Larry busted into the computer lab. "Why did you tell your step-sister that I asked you to steal beer for me?" He asked in an accusatory voice.

Piper, who'd been helping another student with photo captions, whipped her head around. "My _what_?"

He took another step into the room. "Alex."

"She's not my step-sister." Piper straightened her posture, conscious of the stares from the other students in the room. "And who I tell things to is _my_ business."

"Yeah, well, she pretty much just threatened me."

Piper snorted. "You're threatened by a _girl_?"

The other boys in the room made snickering sounds, and it appeared that Larry was humiliated.

"What you asked me to do, Larry, was cowardly." The blonde walked towards him. "And airing it out in front of everyone in this room is disrespectful."

He looked away, tightening his jaw.

"Should we leave the room so that I can break up with you?" Piper widened her eyes as if talking to a child. "Or do you want to do that in front of everyone, too?"

" _Ouch_!" One student exclaimed. The others continued making sounds, effectively embarrassing Larry even more.

"You're breaking up with me over _this_?" He shrieked.

"Not over this alone, but I _am_ breaking up with you," she offered self-assuredly. "And now, thanks to your antics, we have witnesses of officially parting ways."

Larry shook his head, and she swore she could see tears welling up in his eyes. Perhaps Piper should've felt somewhat contrite, but she didn't. He'd barreled into the room, preparing to make an ass out of her, when all he really did was make an ass out of himself. Piper always knew she could outsmart her boyfriend, and he picked the most inopportune time to let that be known.

"Get back to work," she barked, making her way back to her desk. "We need to be done with this by four o'clock." Pivoting her head, she narrowed her eyes at Larry. "If you want to edit your articles, stay. If not, leave. We're done talking about our personal lives."

Larry lowered his head, and then grabbed his backpack and walked towards the door. He took one glance back at his now ex-girlfriend, muttering, " _Fuck you_ ," before slamming the door on his way out.

Ignoring his dramatic exit, Piper stood and walked over to their Sports editor. "Lacey, show me what you've got."


	6. Chapter 6

There has been quite the rumble about this story amongst readers. If you'd like to read my detailed response to "constructive" reviews, please visit my tumblr page, which is under saintsavory. For those of you who don't care about reviews and are enjoying this story for what it's worth, thank you. Please enjoy Chapter 6.

* * *

Alex showed up for her Saturday shift at Salvatore's, but it wasn't her turn to borrow a car that evening. At least she made decent tips and enjoyed the company of the two other guys working with her that night.

She reflected on her confrontation with Larry earlier that day and wondered if he'd informed Piper about their conversation. Alex figured he'd tattle on her right away, but she hoped the blonde stood her ground. She didn't care if Piper was upset with her for antagonizing Larry—he wasn't the right… _person_ for her.

A frequent diner drove up in her black Jaguar XJ, jostling Alex from her reverie. She'd met her three times before and wondered if the raven haired woman had hit on her in those other meetings. The woman had introduced herself as Liza Pope and tipped very well. She had to be in her early 60s, and while Alex liked her women older, she didn't like them _that_ much older. She knew she'd need to tread carefully so as not to encourage Ms. Pope's flirtations, but just enough to generate big tips.

"Good evening, Ms. Pope," Alex greeted, opening the car door.

The woman was always impeccably dressed, and that night was no different.

She stepped out. "Alex, I'm glad you're here."

"I'll always take good care of your car," she tried.

"I've been watching you." She hooked her Louis Vuitton purse over one shoulder. "The way you carry yourself."

The brunette bit the inside of her cheek, nervous about where this was headed but allowed Liza to proceed.

"Though it's hard to tell with that uniform," she looked her up and down. "I think you have an attractive body."

"Thank you." Alex blushed and was about to excuse herself, but before she could say any more, Liza jumped in again.

She reached into her purse. "Here's my card. I'm interested in talking with you in the near future, so please ring my assistant and we'll set something up."

"Ok, thanks." Alex took the card and shoved it into her back pocket without looking at it. "Have a nice dinner."

The brunette got behind the wheel and drove to the back parking lot before pulling out the business card and examining it. "Elite Model Management, Milan & Manhattan," she read. _What the fuck_? So Liza hadn't been flirting at all—she was in _talent acquisition_ working out of the Manhattan office.

Alex smiled, threw her head back, and then read the card again. _Very interesting_.

* * *

By the time every guest left Salvatore's, it was 11:45 p.m. Brandon had successfully borrowed an Audi convertible and returned it safely with two minutes to spare. He gave Alex a fist bump and once again thanked her for such a great idea.

He dropped her off at the Chapman house in his beat up Honda hatchback, but the brunette didn't complain about at least having a free ride. She'd ridden the bus several times, and it had taken twice as long to get home.

"Thanks, Brandon. See you bright and early for brunch tomorrow." She shut the door and walked up the driveway, noticing that Bill and her mom's cars were there, but Piper's BMW was not.

The brunette walked inside, and proceeded directly to the bathroom to take a shower. After a work shift, she smelled sweaty and a little like Italian meatballs even though she spent very little time inside of the restaurant. The shower felt amazing, and she stayed under the spray five minutes longer than usual.

She changed into comfortable cotton shorts and a white tank top over a black one, and went to the kitchen for something to nibble on. The staff got to eat a free meal every shift, but it was usually something simple like soup, salad or, if she was lucky, an Italian sub with melted mozzarella. That night, it was a cup of Minestrone and two breadsticks, which she'd eaten at 5 p.m.

She opened the refrigerator to see if there was any deli meat to make a sandwich. As she pulled out the package of roasted turkey breast, she heard a key in the door. Alex peeked around the corner and saw a stumbling blonde.

"Hello, Alex," she slurred with a mischievous grin. Piper was wearing petite, white shorts and a thin, pale green shirt.

The brunette smirked. "Are you drunk?"

"I wouldn't know," she slurred again. "I've never been drunk."

"Well, the first rule is, you have to keep your voice down," she whispered. Alex put her hand on the girl's back, escorting her into the kitchen. "The second is that you should eat something and have a glass of water before you go to sleep so you don't wake up with a hangover."

Piper hiccupped and quickly covered her mouth.

Alex wondered how the girl could be that fucking adorable by having the hiccups. She pulled the mayonnaise & mustard from the fridge. "How'd you go from having your first beer with me last night to getting drunk today?"

She looked up at the brunette with puppy-dog eyes. "I had a bad day."

Alex grabbed the loaf of 12 grain bread. "Wanna tell me about it?"

She averted her eyes. "I broke up with Larry."

The brunette paused for a moment, thinking of how to proceed. "Should I be sorry to hear that?" Alex finally asked even though she _wasn't_.

Piper shrugged and looked back at her companion. "You had something to do with that."

"He squealed like a rutting pig, didn't he?" She huffed.

The blonde hiccupped again. "Why'd you threaten him like that?"

She spread the condiments on two slices of bread. "Because you deserve to be treated better."

Piper's expression was as if she didn't know how to take that—like Alex's statement was a branch she couldn't reach high atop a tree.

The brunette stopped what she was doing and filled a glass with water. She slid it on the granite towards Piper. "Larry's a pussy."

A grin slowly registered on her face. "I thought you liked pussy."

That caused Alex to smirk. "Touché."

The blonde giggled, and Alex admired the way the muscles in her neck moved.

She finished making two sandwiches and sat at the kitchen counter next to Piper as they both devoured the food. Piper informed her about the way she broke up with Larry, and Alex was proud of her bold move.

When they were done eating, the older girl washed the dishes. "Feeling any better?"

"I'm pretty sure I'm still intoxicated." She stood and stretched, giving Alex a view of her toned stomach. "Maybe we should have a drink?"

"Not tonight." She shook her head. "I have to work the brunch shift at Salvatore's tomorrow, which means I have to be there at 6 a.m."

"Alex?" Piper called in a timid voice as if not having paid attention to the brunette's explanation.

She put the condiments and turkey back into the refrigerator. "Hmm?"

"I think I want to kiss a girl."

Alex froze and flexed her jaw. That was _not_ what she was expecting. Silence filled the air, but sirens went off in her head.

Piper stepped closer, looking one part innocent and another part anxious. The blonde set her glass of water on the counter and lowered her hand, knuckles skimming Alex's arm.

Alex fiddled with the fringe of a kitchen towel, unsure if Piper was suggesting that _they_ kiss or if any girl would do. "Do you want me to point out the semi-closeted lesbians at school on Monday?"

"No," she replied in a raspy voice as she tugged at the hem of Alex's shirt.

The brunette ran a hand through her thick, black hair and closed her eyes. She was _absolutely willing_ and in fact, _eager_ , to be Piper's first girl kiss, but this wasn't how she wanted it to happen. "Not like this," she whispered.

Piper ran her fingers around the edge of Alex's shirt until it reached her hip, pulling slightly at the fabric. "Not like what?"

It took all of her strength to remove the girl's fingertips from her tank top. "Not when you're drunk."

She pouted. "Are you scared that I'll regret it in the morning?"

"Yeah," the brunette answered honestly. "I am."

She tilted her head and looked downright delectable. "But you said you thought I was attractive."

"You are _very_ attractive, Piper." Alex balled her fists to keep from reaching out and grabbing Piper by the neck and pulling her in for a scorching kiss. "And if you want to talk about this when you're sober..." she trailed off.

The blonde sighed and lowered her head.

"Come here." Alex pulled her into a tight hug. "You are _beautiful_ , Piper. Anyone would be lucky to kiss you."

"You mean that?" She mumbled against the brunette's chest.

Alex pulled back and brushed the blonde's hair out of her face. "I do."

Piper looked up at her again. "Alex?"

"Hmm?" Her fingertips lingered on the girl's cheek a second more than they probably should have.

"I think I'm gonna throw up." She ran to the sink and hurled.

Alex squeezed her eyes shut, mumbled _fuck_ , and then proceeded to help the girl puke the alcohol out of her system. "You're going to be fine, babe. Get it all out. It's ok." She held her hair back with one hand and rubbed Piper's back with the other.

"Oh, my God." She straightened, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "I hate throwing up." Tears slowly fell down her cheeks.

"I don't know anyone who enjoys it," Alex chuckled. She tore a few paper towels off the roll, wet them with cool water and wiped the blonde's face. "You know what the solution is?"

Piper leaned into her touch. "Hmm?"

"Don't drink so much." She grinned.

Piper pushed her chest and pouted. "Thanks for the tip, asshole."

"Let's get you cleaned up and into bed." She flushed the vomit down the drain, and then took Piper by the hand as they proceeded to the bathroom.

"Here's a towel and some face soap. I'll go get something for you to wear." Alex walked down the hallway and considered digging in Piper's drawers for clothes, but she didn't want to be chastised later for going through her things. Instead, she grabbed one of her own Sex Pistols t-shirts and a pair of gray, cotton shorts. She knocked on the bathroom door. "You ok?"

"Yeah."

"I'm going to leave some clothes out here for you." She set the clothes on the carpet. "Think you can get to bed ok?"

"Yeah. Thank you."

Alex turned to walk away, but not before hearing Piper ask, "Did you call me, _babe_?"

She decided against affirming Piper's question and grinned, not at all surprised that the drunk girl had picked up on her term of endearment.

Alex left her bedroom door open so she could hear when the blonde finished in the bathroom. Once she felt it was safe to do so, she padded down the hallway and peeked inside Piper's room. The blonde was sound asleep and snoring. Alex smiled.

* * *

Piper awoke the next morning with saliva crusted on her chin and a slight headache. She sat up, rubbing a hand over her face as she pieced together what had happened the night before. She remembered drinking shots of Fireball dropped into hard cider with Polly and a couple of other friends, and then she recalled coming home and chatting with Alex in the kitchen.

 _She'd told Alex that she wanted to kiss a girl. Fuck_.

Piper flopped back in bed and pulled the sheets over her head. She had no idea how alcohol would affect her, and clearly it acted as a truth serum. The one thing she hadn't said was that she wanted to kiss _Alex_ —at least she'd been somewhat careful with her confession.

Alex was smart though—too smart to not understand what she'd insinuated. Piper wondered how she should proceed: pretend that she didn't remember their conversation or apologize to her for being so brazen.

Someone knocked on her door, and she hoped it wasn't Alex—she wasn't ready to face her just yet. "Who is it?"

"Your father," Bill announced.

She pulled the sheets from over her head and rested them across her chest. "Come in."

"I was worried about you." He didn't step inside. "It's almost 10 o'clock, and you're usually up on weekends by this time."

She was shocked at the time. "I'm fine; just a little tired."

"Diane made waffles if you want one." He turned to leave.

"Thanks." Piper sat up again and sighed. She had a ton of homework to do, and she needed to come up with a plan to confront Alex.

It was going to be a long day.

* * *

Alex finished the brunch shift at Salvatore's and walked away with $65 in tips, which was a lucrative day. She needed some new clothes and didn't want to ask her mom for the money, so she took the bus to the thrift store just outside of Greenwich that had just as nice of clothing as some department stores. Alex was astounded by the amount of money in the town and wished she had just a quarter of their wealth.

She purchased a couple of nice dresses that she'd feel comfortable wearing to an interview, and maybe she was putting the cart before the horse, but she was hoping that Liza Pope wanted to meet with her in the near future to talk about a job. Alex certainly didn't consider herself the model type and wondered if Ms. Pope was considering her for an administrative position. Either way, it was a potential lead on a job that _wasn't_ parking cars.

The brunette spent the rest of the day with Nicky, smoking and drinking, and not thinking about Piper.

Or the way her eyes looked stormy and hungry last night.

Or the way her lips formed the perfect pout.

Or the sliver of skin she'd revealed when stretching.

No, Alex didn't think about any of those things.

She wasn't nervous about talking to Piper about the events of the previous night and figured it would be slightly awkward for a moment, but they'd move right past it. If Piper didn't bring it up, she wouldn't press the issue unless the blonde pulled another stunt like she had the night before. If Alex was a betting woman, she'd put her money on something similar happening in the not so distant future. The question was, who would make the next move?


	7. Chapter 7

Piper finished two essays and studied for her final exams in history and calculus before crashing on the sofa with a thud and a sigh, television remote control in hand.

"We're going to the mall to look for a present for Alex's graduation," Diane stated. "Wanna come?"

"No, thanks." She flung her head back, addressing Diane upside down. "I just spent the past six hours doing homework and just want to do something that doesn't involve thinking."

Cal looked up at his father. "Can I buy a comic book?"

Bill grabbed his keys and walked towards the front door. "Don't you have 20 comic books already?"

"Yeah, but there's this one called _Bone_ …" Cal walked outside, still yammering.

Piper flipped on the television, not caring what she watched as long as it was mindless. It was between _The Fugitive_ and _Jurassic Park_ , and she settled for Harrison Ford over Jeff Goldblum.

"You awake?"

She had no idea how long she'd dozed off, but when she awoke, Alex was standing in front of her. "Oh…yeah." She rubbed her sleepy eyes. "Hi."

Alex smiled. " _The Fugitive_?"

"Yeah." She sat up, back against the armrest, legs still splayed across the length of the sofa. "Did you know that Richard Kimble's limp in the movie is real? Harrison Ford tore a ligament in his knee during the escape scene in the woods and decided to postpone surgery until after filming."

Alex had already changed into jeans and a gray t-shirt, and her hair was wet. "Are you into weird movie trivia?" She grinned, picking up Piper's legs and sitting next to her. She placed the blonde's legs across her lap.

"I read a lot of reviews and general commentary about films," she replied, surprised that Alex hadn't chosen to sit in one of the two recliners. Her heart fluttered at their proximity, but she tried to keep her cool. "There was a time when I thought I might want to be a screenwriter."

Alex's hands were perfectly still on Piper's shins. "You could still do that, you know."

"True." Piper tied her hair in a low ponytail, needing to busy her nervous hands with a task. "How long have you been home?"

"Long enough to shower and change." She reached for the remote and turned the volume on the TV lower. "Is anyone home?"

Piper could smell the tropical lotion that Alex must've rubbed all over her body. "No, they went shopping." She hoped her nervousness would pass quickly, but then Alex returned her hands to her bare legs. Piper was grateful that she'd shaved that morning.

"You have very long legs," the brunette commented around a chuckle.

"They go all the way to my hips," she joked, feeling the uneasiness of the smile she shot her companion.

Alex turned her attention back to the television. Her thumb made little circles on Piper's calf, and it took all of the blonde's willpower not to jump on her. There was something incredibly sensual about Alex, and Piper assumed she had no trouble finding girls, rather _women_ , to kiss.

"Do you recognize that actress?" the brunette asked.

Piper didn't think Alex was going to make a move on her—touching her leg was probably as far as she would go for fear of Piper's reaction if she went too far. So she took matters into her own hands and swung her legs from the brunette's lap and sat next to her, not close enough to touch, but close enough to feel Alex's breath on her forehead when she twisted her head to watch Piper adjusting her position on the sofa.

"Jane Lynch," Piper offered, eyes trained on the TV.

"She was so young." Alex swiveled her head again, returning her attention to the movie.

Although Piper's hands were sweaty, she tentatively reached for the brunette's—she wasn't going to let this moment pass. Her fingertips brushed Alex's pinky, and Piper looked at her lap, and then back up at the brunette. She troubled her lower lip as she stared into Alex's eyes behind black frames. A tiny grin formed on Alex's face, and Piper felt her tangle their fingers together.

"Well, then," Alex remarked, grin now broader.

The blonde squeezed her hand and smiled. "Yeah."

Alex reached out with her other hand to tuck a piece of hair behind Piper's ear. "I'm assuming you remember what happened last night."

She nodded; it was now or never. "I assume you understood that I wasn't talking about kissing just _any_ girl."

"Yeah," Alex chuckled. "You weren't exactly subtle."

Piper glanced at her full lips, and then looked back into her eyes. Before she knew it, Alex was leaning down and kissing her. It was three little pecks followed by a slightly open-mouthed kiss.

The brunette put her hand on Piper's cheek and silently checked to see if what she was doing was welcomed.

Piper answered by closing the gap between them. This time, they did away with the little pecks and opened their mouths to properly kiss. Piper felt kind of the way she did the night before: _intoxicated_ , but this time not on booze. Alex snaked her tongue inside, and Piper whimpered. She could feel the brunette smile against her lips. It was still gentle, but then Piper put her fingers around Alex's wrist and deepened the kiss. They kissed in that position for several minutes until Alex pulled back.

She ran her hand down Piper's cheek and smirked. "That's what it feels like to kiss a girl."

" _Fuck_ ," was all she could say. Piper reached for Alex again, this time placing her hand on the back of her dark hair and drawing her closer. She couldn't believe how absolutely marvelous it felt.

Unlike Larry, Alex's lips were full and soft, and there was no stubble on her face. Her mouth was much smaller, and it almost felt cozy. In that moment, Piper didn't know if she'd _ever_ go back to kissing boys.

Alex pulled away again.

"You're an excellent kisser," the blonde offered, running her fingertips through Alex's hair.

She wiped Piper's glistening lower lip. "So are you."

"Really?" The blonde twisted her head a bit to kiss the pad of Alex's thumb.

" _Yes_."

Piper heard a key in the door and jumped as far away from Alex as she could. She cocked one leg up on the sofa and twirled her hair with her index finger. As casually as she could, she looked back at her family as they entered the home.

"We're back," her father said needlessly.

"Buy anything fun?" Alex asked. She hadn't moved an inch.

"I got that new comic book!" Cal ran over to show Alex.

The family talked for a few minutes before Alex excused herself to her bedroom. Piper was left with slightly swollen lips and a crush that was growing by the minute.

* * *

After their kiss, Alex entered her room and shut the door. She'd spend exactly 10 minutes studying for a quiz that she'd have first period the next day, and then probably go to sleep. Of course, kissing Piper distracted her to no end. She didn't expect the blonde to be such a talented kisser. Alex lifted her fingers to her lips and closed her eyes, remembering the feeling of Piper's thin lips against her fuller ones.

She shook her head and sighed. There was no way for this to end well, she thought. They couldn't be in a full-blown relationship due to their circumstances, and she didn't even know if that's what Piper wanted. Hell, she didn't know if it was what _she_ wanted. There was no question that she was attracted to Piper—she'd figured that out the night she sat next to the swimming pool. But Alex was graduating from high school and had high hopes of living a life on her own in Manhattan.

If Piper wanted to experiment, Alex was all for it. She thought about her perky breasts and a grin crossed her face as she pictured Piper's nipples. Alex wondered if the blonde kept her pubic hair trimmed nice & neat and if it was the same color as the hair on her head. She inhaled deeply, thinking about putting her mouth on Piper's center and wondering what she tasted like.

 _No, no, no_ …she tried to banish those thoughts as she rolled over in her bed to try going to sleep. Almost of its own volition, Alex's hand reached between the juncture of her thighs, under the waistband of her underwear and began exploring her folds. She rubbed her clit with her index and middle fingers, picturing Piper's head between her legs, licking her. It took four minutes for Alex to orgasm.

* * *

Piper was so busy with studying for AP exams, competing at the state competition in track, and doing college research that she didn't have time to try making out with Alex again. For her part, Alex was working multiple shifts at Salvatore's and just hoping to graduate. They were like ships passing in the night at the Chapman home, but when they did see each other, Alex would sometimes wink at her or give her an intimate, knowing smile.

The blonde enjoyed their flirtations and longed to kiss Alex again, but she wasn't sure how far she wanted to go. She'd masturbated the other night, thinking about Alex's tongue in her center, and that pretty much informed her what she really desired, but going that far in reality was still a big question in her mind. Piper was a virgin for no particular reason other than she hadn't wanted to sleep with Larry or any other person at school.

Graduation came and went, and the family celebrated Alex's diploma by going to a restaurant other than Salvatore's—although Alex thought the food at her place of employment was delicious, the brunette was tired of Italian cuisine.

Piper was surprised that she and Alex could mostly act as if nothing happened between them. A big part of her was ready to ask the brunette how they should proceed, but Alex seemed to be the type to let things flow naturally.

Not long after graduation, Alex went to New York to spend a few days with her friend, Nicky, whom Piper had yet to meet. She'd told the blonde that she had "somewhat of a lead" on a job in the City, but it wasn't enough to inform her mom of the possibility.

Piper had gotten a job at the local country club as a lifeguard and was excited about working on her tan for 20 hours a week.

* * *

The brunette had purchased a pair of black, patent leather pumps and a professional-looking black and blue dress to meet with Liza Pope that day. Alex had never been interviewed by anyone, so she was anxious about a line of questioning that she knew she could very well fuck up. Nicky tried to get her drunk the night before, but Alex refused. This had the potential of being something big, and she didn't want to show up hungover with bags under her eyes.

She took the Subway to the Chanin Building in Midtown and rode the elevator to the sixth floor as her hands began to sweat. Alex wasn't accustomed to being nervous—nothing typically rattled her, so she tried to convince herself that she could handle an interview, no problem.

"Hi, may I help you?" A blonde receptionist greeted her.

She ran her palm down her side. "I'm Alex Vause. I have an appointment with Liza Pope."

"She'll be with you shortly." The blonde answered a ringing phone. "Elite Model Management, Brittany speaking."

Alex looked around the room, taking in the framed black & white photos of models, all of whom were gorgeous. There was no way Liza Pope wanted to meet with her about modeling—she wasn't _that_ attractive.

"Alex, hello." Liza strutted into the lobby, hand extended.

She shook the older woman's hand. "Nice to see you."

"Yes, and not at Salvatore's." She opened the door. "Let's go back to my office, shall we?"

It was a smaller space than Alex had expected with only two small offices that she could see off the main hallway. They arrived in Liza's office, which was as well-appointed as Liza was dressed.

"You look very nice, by the way." Liza closed the door behind them.

Alex tucked her hair behind her ear. "Thanks."

"Stay standing." The well-dressed woman lowered her glasses and looked over the rims as she took a spin around Alex, eyeing her up and down.

She felt awkward, just standing there, and put a hand on her hip.

"Please, have a seat." Liza sat behind her ornate wooden desk. "I'm just going to cut to the chase. You have a… _look_ about you, Alex," she stated. "It's a look we're relentlessly searching for at Elite. Have you ever considered modeling?"

"No," she chortled.

"Now might be the time." Liza removed her eyeglasses and held them between both hands. "By the end of the month, I'm hiring nine models to work in Milan, and I think you could be one of them."

Alex let out a surprised laugh. "Me? A model in Milan?"

"Don't worry—we'd teach you how to walk and obviously give you clothes to wear." She wrote something on a pad of paper. "The rest just comes naturally."

Alex blinked heavily almost as if waking from a dream. "Wow, ok."

"We need to get some photos of you before this is a done deal, but if you have three or four hours to spare tomorrow, I can have an answer for you by the end of the week. That is, if you're interested."

"Yes, of course. I can come by tomorrow." She folded her hands in her lap. "Does this sort of thing pay, or would it be, like, an internship or something?"

Liza threw her head back with laughter. "Yes, darling. 'This thing' pays quite well." She grabbed a stack of papers off of the printer and handed them to Alex. "If you're selected, you'd start out with a $5,000 signing bonus, and we'd cover the cost of travel and pay for accommodations." Liza stood and held her arm out as if requesting that they leave the office. "We'll go over the details if the executive director offers you a contract, and this stack of papers should provide you with further information. Stop by the front desk on your way out and have Brittany schedule some time for the photo shoot tomorrow."

"I don't know what to say," Alex replied with humility and shock in her voice.

Liza smiled. "Thanks for coming in, Alex. I'll see you tomorrow."

The brunette scheduled her photo shoot for the next day, and as soon as she exited the building, her first thought was to call Piper.

She boarded the Subway, cell phone in hand, ready to call the blonde, but she didn't hit the green button to put the call through. They'd only kissed the one time, so it wasn't like they had a _thing_. Sure, they flirted, mostly in silence at home, but it hadn't led anywhere. Perhaps Piper really _did_ only want to kiss a girl and feel that exhilaration. Maybe Piper had determined that she wasn't into girls—or Alex in particular.

She tried not to concern herself with Piper—she had bigger things to worry about, like landing a modeling gig in Milan. She couldn't wait to celebrate with Nicky.

* * *

Alex had been gone four days, and Piper's mood deteriorated as the days went on. She knew all she had to do to find out when Alex would return was text her, but Piper was too confused about their situation to make first contact. If Alex wanted to be in touch, she knew how to reach her.

The first good thunderstorm of the summer rolled through town that afternoon, and the pool was closed due to lightening in the area. Piper sulked around the house for much of the day as Cal was at camp and her father and Diane were at work. She finished reading one novel and then started another when Alex barged in.

Piper sat taller on the sofa. "Alex!"

She didn't expect to be this overjoyed upon seeing Piper, but butterflies flitted around her stomach. "Hi."

"How was New York?" She closed _The Sound and the Fury_. "Did you get a job offer?"

"It was great, but I'll talk to you about it later. I have to be at Salvatore's in 10 minutes." Alex stood behind the sofa and put a hand on Piper's shoulder. "Brandon is outside waiting for me."

The blonde looked up at her with dejected eyes. "Ok."

"I wish I could spend time with you right now," Alex sighed, squeezing Piper's shoulder. "But I really have to go."

She smiled weakly. "I think my dad is taking us to Salvatore's tonight for dinner, so I guess I'll see you then."

"Good." Alex leaned down and kissed her on the forehead, and then disappeared in her room to change into her work outfit. She returned minutes later, speeding down the hallway and opening the front door. "Later, kid."

Piper threw her head back on the sofa cushion and sighed. Alex had kissed her forehead—that counted for something—but it was more of the same gestures that they'd displayed days and weeks after their kiss. The blonde was convinced that Alex was "into her" for that moment in time, and now that she'd given Piper what she wanted, the brunette probably had no interest in pursuing things further. After all, she was _just a girl_.

Piper had nearly a week to think about what she sought from Alex, and that's where her mind was singularly focused. She could finally admit that she wanted more than a one-time lip lock. She wanted to get to know Alex better, and she definitely wanted to make out beyond what they'd done on the sofa. Piper wanted Alex to touch her intimately, but she didn't know how to make that known to the brunette.

Her dad and Diane came home, made Cal shower and change clothes, and then they all piled into the Mercedes to go to Salvatore's for dinner.

"You know, I've never seen Alex at work." Diane smiled.

"Here's your chance." Bill put his hand on her leg. "I'm sorry she won't be able to join us for dinner."

"Oh, that's alright! She eats here every night anyway."

They pulled under the wood-beamed overhang, and Alex greeted the family. "Welcome to Salvatore's," she said with an eye roll.

Piper smiled bashfully as if the air between them had changed. "Hi."

She grinned. "Hey."

Diane walked around the car to hug her daughter. "Look at you, all professional!"

"Not when you hug me like that," Alex complained with a tiny smile on her face.

"I'm just proud of you, kid," Diane said.

"If you can get away even for ten minutes, please join us," Bill offered.

"Ok."

The family walked into the restaurant, and Piper swiveled her head around. Alex had already gotten into Bill's car and started the engine. The blonde frowned as they were shown to their table and Alex was nowhere to be seen.

After their entrée's Piper fidgeted with her fork, and then her napkin, and then the hem of her skirt. She couldn't keep still. "I'm going to go say hi to Alex."

"Sounds good, honey," her father said.

She stood. "No dessert for me. I'll just meet you at the car."

"Can I have her dessert?" Cal asked before Piper was out of earshot.

She walked out of the restaurant and spotted Alex leaning against the stone wall, talking to one of the other valets. "Hey."

"Hi." She tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear.

Alex pushed herself off of the wall. "This is Jeremy."

Piper shook his hand. "It's nice to meet you."

"He thinks you're cute," Alex said with a wide grin.

He punched her arm.

She rubbed her bicep. "What? You made the comment as soon as Piper got out of the car."

His face turned almost as red as his hair. "You weren't supposed to tell _her_ that!"

"Sorry, Jeremy." Piper looked directly at Alex and hoped her next statement made her intentions clear. "But I'm not into _boys_."

The brunette hooked an eyebrow and pursed her lips.

"I've got this one, Jeremy." A car rolled up, and Alex walked around to the driver's side. "Piper, why don't you come with me?"

"Am I allowed to do that?"

"No," the pimple-faced boy said, looking at Alex like she was his worst enemy.

Ignoring the young valet, Alex opened the driver's door of the white Audi Q7, had a brief conversation with the owner, and when he stepped inside of the restaurant, Alex motioned for Piper to get in.

Despite it being against the rules, Piper found exhilaration in breaking them. She opened the car door and hopped into the passenger seat.

Alex drove to the back of the restaurant, turning on the windshield wipers as a crash of thunder sounded around them. "So, you're not into boys anymore?"

The blonde blushed. "Not at present time, no."

Alex backed into a parking space on the perimeter of the property, mostly away from the other vehicles. She put her hand on the back of Piper's headrest as she looked behind her. Piper could smell her familiar tropical lotion. She put the car in park and turned off the engine.

Alex grinned. "Does that mean you're into _girls_?"

"No, not really." Piper leaned her head against the headrest, but her eyes were still trained on Alex. She could feel her heart pounding like a jackhammer. "Just one in particular."

The brunette cupped Piper's cheek. "Do I know her?"

Piper twisted her head even more until her lips met Alex's wrist. "You do."

The women smiled at each other as the rain pelted the sunroof and windshield. Piper couldn't take it any longer. She thrust forward, meeting Alex's lips with her own. This kiss was fierce—there was nothing gentle about it the way their first kiss had been. Piper wanted to express her desire through her mouth, and she hoped Alex recognized the desperate yearning that coursed through every vein of her body.

Tongues tangled as much as arms, and Alex hooked one of her hands down to move the driver's seat as far back as it could go. When it reached the maximum distance, the women were disjointed, so Piper flung herself onto Alex's lap, a knee on either side of her hips. The brunette positioned Piper perfectly on top of her and snaked her hands under the blonde's shirt.

"Ungh," Piper moaned.

While their mouths were fused together, Alex rubbed Piper's stomach and sides, but didn't move her hands where the blonde wanted them. Piper took matters into her own hands and scooted down until her butt hit the steering wheel and Alex's fingers glided up to cover her breasts.

"Right there," the blonde breathed heavily, and then leaned down to her original position with her tongue in Alex's mouth. "That feels really good."

Alex massaged her tender breasts, lifting her bra above them so flesh could touch flesh. She tweaked the blonde's nipples, and Piper moaned again. Larry had touched her breasts, but she certainly didn't remember it feeling like this. This was _other worldly_ kind of good.

Piper could feel something vibrate between them, and Alex mumbled _fuck_ against her mouth.

She reached for the offending object in her pocket. "Damn, I have to go. There's a line of cars waiting to be parked."

Piper sat up, and their centers were nearly pressed together, so she ground against the brunette. Alex's hands landed on her hips and followed the motion three or four times before pushing away. "I want to do this with you, babe, but I _really_ have to go."

The blonde leaned down for one more kiss, and then grabbed the door handle. She gracelessly hopped off of Alex and exited the car in the rain.

"Run!" Alex yelled, reaching behind her for Piper's hand.

They ran hand-in-hand to the overhang in the back of the building, when Alex finally released her.

"Breaking the rules is fun," Piper whispered as they walked around the corner.

Alex laughed and handed Piper a towel that she pulled from the valets stash on the side of the restaurant. "Dry your head. You wouldn't want your dad thinking we made out in the rain."

Piper smiled. "I don't want my father to think I make out at all!"

She rested one hand lightly on Piper's waist and leaned down to place a tiny kiss on her swollen lips. "Have a good rest of your night."

"You, too." Piper walked alone into the restaurant with a grin so wide, she probably looked like she was high.


	8. Chapter 8

Alex didn't get home from work until midnight, and Piper was already asleep with her bedroom door wide open. She didn't plan to wake the girl, but a smile crept on the brunette's face when she saw her lying in bed, looking so incredibly peaceful. Alex quietly shut Piper's door and proceeded to her own bedroom, too exhausted to even shower that night.

The next morning, Alex planned to take a shower before even having a cup of coffee (a rarity in her world.) With a pile of clean clothes in hand, she opened the bathroom door and busted in on Piper, who had just put on her red lifeguarding Speedo.

"Oh, Alex. Hi," the blonde sounded startled.

"Sorry, I didn't think anyone was in here. I'll come back." Alex took a step in the other direction and began closing the door, but Piper grabbed her forearm.

She tugged the brunette inside, and before Alex even had time to react, Piper's fingers had already found purchase on her waist. Alex dropped the clothes she was carrying, and their hands were all over each other in a matter of seconds. The brunette delighted in the slippery feeling of the swimsuit over Piper's breasts. Feeling the blonde's taut nipples through the fabric turned Alex on even more. Their tongues continued the dance they'd begun the night before, and Piper's little moans weren't lost on Alex.

The blonde put one hand on Alex's stomach, and it slowly progressed up her t-shirt. She felt Piper grin against her mouth as her hand finally hit one breast, and it was like the blonde had discovered gold. Once again, Piper moaned into the other girl's mouth.

"I like the way you feel," Piper said, dipping her head lower to kiss Alex's neck.

Alex swirled her hands through blonde hair. "I like the way you touch me."

The door swung open, and there stood a stunned Cal. "What the…"

"Cal!" Piper removed her hand from Alex's breast. "We can explain."

"Uh…" He covered his eyes. "You two are, like, sisters."

"We're not related, dumbass," Alex offered, feeling Piper's glare.

She and Cal had developed a playful, sincere relationship that was far more sibling-like than Piper and Alex.

"I'm just going to..." He jutted his thumb backwards and walked down the hallway.

"Go talk to him!" Piper demanded in a loud whisper.

She held up a hand. "Alright, alright!"

Alex walked into the boy's bedroom. "That probably wasn't fun for you to see."

"So, are you and Piper, like, lesbians?" Ignoring the brunette's statement, Cal sat on the edge of his bed and stared at nothing in particular.

"I'm gay." She sat next to him. "But Piper's still figuring that out. She might like guys _and_ girls. Sexuality doesn't have to be defined, you know. A person can be fluid."

Cal looked up at her. "Fluid?"

"Yeah, wherever the heart leads—that sort of thing." She brushed her hair behind her ear. "It doesn't always have to be guys and it doesn't always have to be girls. That might be where your sister is right now."

"Mmm." He looked deep in thought. "So, are you two a…couple?"

Alex sighed. "I don't know if I'd go that far, but we're…exploring."

He nodded slowly, as if everything was sinking in.

She nudged his shoulder. "You know, most boys would love to see two girls making out."

"Yeah, probably," Cal replied. "But not my own sister. That's kind of gross."

"You have to admit though, she's kind of cute." Alex smirked.

He shook his head. "I don't think that, but some of my friends do."

Alex chuckled as Piper marched in wearing a tank top and gray sweatpants over her Speedo. "Cal, you cannot tell dad about this!"

He stood. "Dude, chill. I wasn't planning on it."

"We just had a nice talk." Alex stood and folded her arms. "We won't kiss in this house again."

Piper looked at her like she was nuts.

Cal tugged at the hem of his t-shirt. "Whatever. It's your house too, I guess."

Alex hit him on the shoulder as sort of a _you're alright, kid_ tap. "Now go do…whatever boys do in the bathroom."

Cal left his bedroom, and Piper creased her eyebrows as she faced the brunette. "What was that about? I'm not making a promise not to kiss you in my own home!" She whispered in a louder voice than she probably should have.

"It's his home too." Alex shrugged. "I don't care if anyone catches us, but I'm assuming _you_ do."

" _Of course,_ I do!" Piper huffed.

"Then we need to keep our hands…and mouths…to ourselves when we're here." She crossed her arms. "At least we can respect your brother."

Piper shook her head, clearly not pleased with this new development. She glanced at the digital alarm clock. "Crap, I have to go to work. I'll see you later."

"I don't know if you will, actually." She pushed her glasses to rest on top of her head. "I have work from 4 until midnight, and then tomorrow, I'm leaving for Manhattan through the weekend."

"Fine." The blonde turned to exit, but Alex caught her by the shoulder.

She spun Piper around. "Hey, don't be like that."

The blonde looked at her feet and didn't reply.

"I get that this is complicated right now." She put her hands on Piper's arms. "And it probably will be for as long as we live in the same house."

"Yeah," she said in a sad tone, looking up at Alex.

"Let me take you out when I get back from Manhattan," the dark haired girl offered, taking a step closer. "It'll be our first date."

A small grin formed on Piper's face. "A date?"

She raised a singular eyebrow. "Now, go tease little rich boys at the pool with that red Speedo."

Piper giggled. "Gross."

Alex went back to her room and thought about the possibility of moving to Italy. On one hand, it was an exciting, potentially lucrative adventure, but on the other, it would surely put an end to the blossoming relationship that the two were embarking upon.

* * *

Alex spent the weekend in Manhattan, and Piper didn't expect to be as sad as she was without her. _When had Alex come to be an important part of her life_? At first, she thought that it was just the physical connection that made her long for Alex, but by Sunday afternoon, Piper was struck by the idea that maybe Alex meant more to her than she'd realized.

She sat at her desk with Journey's _Send Her My Love_ playing on repeat in the background, took out her journal, and began writing the pros and cons of Alex Vause.

 **Pros**

Smart

Well-read

Risk taker

Brave

Confident

Passionate

Works hard

Mature

Hot, hot, hot and hot

 **Cons**

Somewhat of an ego

Unwillingness to compromise

Doesn't want to go to college – no clear career goals

Doesn't seem to be into relationships

Dad's girlfriend's daughter

She tapped her pencil against the paper as her phone chimed next to her. Piper noticed it was a text from Alex: _Can't go home before my shift at Salvatore's but can sneak away for an hour in borrowed car. Wanna go on that date_?

It wasn't the best invitation for a date she'd ever received, but Piper was so desperate to see Alex that she replied affirmatively right away. _Sure. Want me to meet you somewhere_?

 _There's a grassy hill just past the Shell Station on Lincoln Ave at the south end of Westchester Airport - meet at 6:30_.

 _Looking forward to it_. Piper smiled and hit send. It might not be the most romantic date of all times, but she was sure there would be kissing involved. She very much looked forward to that. Now, all she needed to do was kill three hours, and she figured the best way to do that was by reading. Piper looked at her pros and cons list and added one to the cons, but put a question mark behind it: _Might not be into romance_?

* * *

Alex convinced Brandon to switch nights with her to borrow a car from Salvatore's—she needed to talk to Piper about the modeling offer that she'd gotten on Friday. She spent the weekend on Cloud 9, thinking about the international experience, and the money she'd surely earn. There was no way she could pass up the opportunity, but she knew it would make Piper sad.

Like clockwork, at 6:20 the Harding couple showed up as they did every Sunday night. Alex had borrowed their maroon Acura MDX on two other occasions and felt quite comfortable behind the wheel. She pretended to valet the car, but sped off to meet Piper and hoped that 10 minutes was all she needed to get there on time.

The blonde's BMW was already there, parked facing the runway behind the grassy hill. A regional jet roared above Alex's car, and she could see Piper through the window, watching the plane with amazement. She parked next to the other car and smiled at the blonde, jutting her head to the side to invite her into the borrowed Acura.

"Hi." Piper climbed in and shut the door. "Nice ride."

Alex's lips tugged up, but one could hardly call it a smile. "It is."

Piper reached over the armrest and grabbed the brunette's face, kissing her in one surprising motion. Alex hadn't expected the urgency of the kiss, but she enjoyed it nonetheless.

After a few seconds, Alex pulled back. "What was that for?"

"I missed you." She wiped the brunette's mouth with her thumb.

Alex blinked rapidly and averted her eyes, face turning somber. "Piper, there's something I need to tell you."

Piper leaned back and removed her left hand from the brunette's arm.

She shoved a chunk of dark hair over her shoulder. "Remember I told you that I might get a job in New York?"

Piper nodded.

"Well, I got the offer." She couldn't stop the smile from forming, but she didn't let it hang around for long.

The blonde raised her brows. "Alex, that's great news! Why would you be afraid to tell me that?"

"Yeah, it is. Thanks." Alex took her hand, and brought it to her lips before releasing it. "The thing is, the job isn't in Manhattan; it's in Milan."

She wrinkled her forehead. "Milan? As in _Italy_?"

She nodded and felt her cheeks redden. "It's a one-year modeling contract, of all things."

"You're going to be a model…in Italy?" Piper's face knotted. "Alex, that's…I'm…I mean, it doesn't surprise me that you could be a model, but _in Italy_?" She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "That's…so far away."

"I can't help where they send me, Piper," she half-laughed. "It's a _job_ , and I'd get to travel and meet new people and make a life of my own. You understand that I have to take it, right?"

"Yeah." She looked down. "I get it."

Alex tipped her chin up with an index finger. "I know you and I are _experimenting_ or whatever, but I have to look out for my future."

Piper glanced out the window and took a deep breath. "I haven't said this to you before, and I just started realizing it this weekend, but what we're doing…it's more than just experimenting to me." She swallowed hard and returned her gaze to the girl next to her. "That's sort of how it began, but…" Piper's shoulders sagged. "…I think I have feelings for you. Feelings that I haven't had for _anyone_ before this."

The confession sent a prickle to Alex's eyes, and she had to turn away.

"And now you're leaving, and…"

The brunette yanked her companion towards her, kissing her more urgently than before. Her tongue tangled with Piper's for a few seconds before she drew back and rested her forehead against the other girl's; hand still firm on the back of the blonde's head. Alex closed her eyes and whispered, "I know."

She didn't know what else to say—she could've admitted that her feelings for Piper had grown exponentially over time or that she thought that _maybe_ they had a future together, but none of that surfaced. She didn't want to make this any harder than it already was.

"So where does that leave us?" Piper asked, desperation in her voice.

Alex opened her eyes to see a tear trickle down the girl's face. She wiped it away with her fingertip. "In different worlds, I guess."

The blonde looked defeated. "Yeah, I guess."

"I know part of this sucks, Piper, but it would really mean a lot to me if you could celebrate this opportunity with me," she tried.

"I'll come around eventually," she looked Alex in the eye. "But for now, I get to be sad."

"Yeah." She kissed Piper's forehead, letting her lips linger. "We both do."

The blonde wiped her runny nose. "When do you leave?"

"In a week," she sighed.

Piper pushed off Alex's chest. "A week?"

She nodded.

They sat in silence for what felt like an eternity until Alex started the car. She didn't know what else to say, and just sitting there wasn't helping the situation. "I need to get going."

Piper raised her eyebrows. "So this was our _date_?"

"I couldn't take you out to some fancy dinner and pretend nothing was going on," Alex explained. "Now that you know, let me make it up to you on Wednesday night when I don't have to work."

She pouted.

Alex leaned over and kissed her on the cheek as a plane flew right over them and landed on the runway. "I have to go, babe."

Piper took her hand and placed a string of kisses on her wrist, her forearm, and the crease of her elbow. She looked up at the other girl with dejected eyes. Alex couldn't stand that look, so she put a hand on the back of Piper's head and pulled her in for a hug, kissing her on top of her blonde head.

Unfortunately, the chaste kiss didn't alter Piper's expression, so Alex kissed her more properly on the lips. It was a leisurely kiss as if they had all the time in the world, and the brunette hoped that Piper understood that if she _did_ have all the time in the world, she'd want to spend it with her.

"Thank you," Piper whispered, leaving Alex to wonder if the blonde could read her mind.

Alex's lips tugged up, but she didn't produce a full-blown smile. There was a definite sadness to leaving Piper, and she couldn't very well pretend that wasn't true.

The blonde opened the car door, and twisted her head around before exiting. "See you later."

She watched Piper get into her car then drive away. Alex leaned her head back against the seat and looked up at the sky through the sunroof. Leaving Piper wasn't going to be easy, but she needed to look out for herself.

* * *

Wednesday night had arrived, and Piper was one part excited about their first official date and one part sad that it also happened to be their last before Alex's move. She hadn't had enough time to fully come around to the dark haired girl being thousands of miles away, but she could at least muster a smile knowing she'd scored an amazing opportunity.

As soon as that summer was over, Piper would have enough to keep her busy senior year with school, cross country, newspaper and college applications. She was also considering a run for Student Government President, but that was still in the works. Truth be told, it was Diane who she was more worried about missing Alex than herself. Alex was all the older Vause had for many years, and seeing her daughter leave was going to be painful. Of course, Diane was able to put things into perspective much better than Piper—Diane's little bird was ready to spread her wings and leave the nest, but for Piper, her time hadn't expired yet.

They took Piper's car to a small Greek restaurant in Westchester County, holding hands the whole way, Alex telling her about the four-week model training, the living arrangements (six women in a two bedroom apartment), and the travel opportunities all over Europe. The blonde was genuinely happy for her, but that didn't mean she couldn't feel the inevitable loss.

Dinner was fine, but by the time they got to dessert, Piper's mood had shifted considerably, knowing that their time together was coming to an end.

Alex put her hand on the blonde's knee under the table. "Wanna skip the baklava and head out?"

"Sounds good. I'm not hungry anyway."

The brunette paid the bill, and they drove to Lyon Park not far away. It was a lovely summer evening, so Alex suggested that they walk around a bit, and then sit on a bench near the fountain.

"Do you have any idea when you'll be able to come home?" Piper asked, eyes on the pavement.

"No." Alex squeezed her hand. "I think the first year is pretty brutal in terms of work. I know we get to go on weekend excursions, but that's like once a month."

The blonde creased her forehead. "The _first_ year? I thought it was only a one-year contract?"

"It is." She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear with her free hand. "But I'm hoping to make it at least two if they can book consistent modeling gigs for me."

This was news to Piper, and it fouled her mood even more. She remained silent as they sat on a bench across from the fountain.

"You're going to be insanely busy this year, Piper," she tried. "And next year, you'll be in college. Hopefully I can come home over the summer, but you can also visit me, you know."

Piper glanced up at her. "Maybe for Christmas?"

She smiled and ran her fingertips down Piper's cheek. "That would be nice." Alex leaned down and kissed the blonde so tenderly, it was as if the girl was porcelain and would break with too much force.

Piper took matters into her own hands and grabbed the other girl's face, deepening the kiss. Before Alex knew it, Piper was crawling onto her lap, legs straddling her hips, like she'd done in the Salvatore's parking lot.

"Let's take this to the back seat," the brunette mumbled against her lips.

They jogged to the car, and dove into the back seat, picking up where they'd left off. Alex slid her hands up Piper's shirt and massaged her tiny breasts as they continued kissing. The blonde sat up, making Alex's hands fall to her waist. She shrugged out of her shirt and unhooked her bra, allowing Alex to stare up at her.

The brunette smoothed her hands across Piper's abdomen. "You're beautiful."

Piper blushed.

Alex's hands covered her breasts again, this time with no fabric between them. She sat up, the blonde's legs now wrapped around her waist, and kissed her again. It was another one of those indulgent, open-mouthed, no-tongue kisses.

"Sometimes you kiss me as if I'm going to break," Piper said between kisses.

Alex leaned her forehead against Piper's and whispered, "Sometimes I think _I'm_ the one who'll break."

Piper devoured her lover's mouth, thrusting her tongue inside and trying desperately not to cry as she ran her hands up the brunette's shirt.

Alex smirked. "Need some help?" She removed her own shirt and bra, and Piper stared at her with her mouth agape.

She swallowed hard and looked Alex in the eye as she reached one hand out to tentatively touch the underside of one of her breasts. The blonde looked down at her companion's tits, marveling at their size and the way her nipples were already erect. She ran her fingertips over a taut nipple and felt wetness pool between her legs.

Alex allowed Piper to continue her fascination with her much larger tits, but after a minute, she dove in to capture Piper's nipple with her lips.

The move caused Piper's head to roll back as she moaned. " _Oh, my God_."

Alex bathed her right, and then her left nipple with her mouth. She looked up at the blonde with teary eyes. "I'm going to miss you."

Piper used both hands to clear the hair out of Alex's face. It was her turn to place a gentle kiss on the other girl's lips. "Me, too."

Another car pulled up next to them and judging from their loud, rambunctious antics, Alex assumed several rowdy teens exited their car. (She was glad that they'd fogged up the windows enough to at least make their images blurry.) The brunette announced that they should probably leave, so they quickly tugged their shirts back on, hopped into the front seats, and drove away holding on to each other's hands like it was the last time they'd ever see each other.

* * *

Note: Thanks for reading through Chapter 8. The second book begins next, and there will be a brief waiting period between books. Look for the next chapter in a couple of days.


	9. Chapter 9

BOOK II—FALLIN'

Piper hadn't gone with her family to drop Alex off at the airport for her life-altering modeling adventure. It would've gotten messy, and the blonde was afraid she would have planted a kiss squarely on Alex's lips for the world to see. They weren't at a point in their relationship for that to happen, nor did Piper _want_ to come out, so she said her sad goodbyes to her somewhat-lover the night before her flight.

Alex had promised to send e-mails every week and to call every other week. If she could figure out how to use Skype, they could video chat on occasion. Alex also vowed to send postcards from her travels, but she wouldn't be able to make them private. " _I hope you can read between the lines_ ," she'd whispered before she left.

The fall of Piper's senior year was even busier than she could've imagined. She'd applied early decision to Smith College, but she decided to have her applications, essays and supplements done for regular decision before winter break as well. In addition to college apps, Piper was still Editor-in-Chief of the school newspaper, participated in cross country, and decided to run for Student Government President. (She'd won by a landslide.)

She didn't have time for anything else in her life, including Larry's attempts at getting back together. Piper had been excited about the possibility of visiting Alex in Milan that Christmas, but her father foiled those plans by announcing that the family was going to visit Danny, who was studying abroad in Sydney.

Alex did as she'd promised and wrote the occasional e-mail, but it was all very surface-level stuff, like where she'd traveled recently, how the food differed from American attempts at Italian cuisine, and the pangs of having roommates. She always ended the e-mails asking about Piper, and signed them with two X's and O's. The blonde tried to reply to Alex's e-mails within 48 hours, but she wasn't always that speedy. The spring, she figured, would be far less crazy, and she could spend more time composing e-mails and sending letters to Alex.

They only had the opportunity to speak on the phone six times that semester, and only one of those was private and lasted a mere 10 minutes. (The other ones, she had to wrangle the phone away from Diane.)

Since Piper was unable to visit Alex over Winter Break, she was determined to make the European trek over Spring Break. She'd e-mailed specific dates to Alex, and the brunette seemed eager to host her and promised to take her to Florence, Venice and possibly Rome. Piper was over the moon at the chance to see Alex and travel across Italy with her. She missed the brunette more than she thought she would and was desperate to see Alex as soon as possible.

By some unlucky twist of fate, Piper was in the running for a $20,000 scholarship that required her to be in Providence for two days in the middle of her Spring Break, preventing her from traveling to Europe. For days, she sulked about the lost opportunity and even told her father she wasn't competing for " _that stupid award_." Bill, of course, demanded that she go to Providence to vie for the scholarship, and under no circumstances was he going to fork over $1,300 for a plane ticket to Italy in lieu of sending her to the oratory competition. Piper considered using all of her savings to pay for the ticket, but she feared if she went against her father's wishes, the consequences would be grave.

So she waited.

She waited for Alex's postcards, e-mails and phone calls. Piper hung on every word in any form of communication, hoping that there was an inkling of desire in Alex's correspondence. There was little to be found, and by the end of Piper's senior year, she'd lost all hope that the two of them would ride off into the sunset together.

* * *

Truth be told, the first four months in Milan were brutal. In all her life, Alex hadn't lived with roommates other than the Chapman kids, and she quickly realized that sharing a space with five other hopeful models was akin to six puppies trying to suck on two nipples. There was literally a sign-up sheet for their one bathroom for shower time, and each of them had to put on their makeup elsewhere half of the time. The other girls ate salads and drank lemon water— _period_. Alex had a difficult time adjusting to a model's diet and didn't take it as far as the other girls. She enjoyed authentic Italian cuisine far too much to give it up completely.

She'd done three runway shows that fall, but it wasn't until just before Christmas when she'd scored a contract for an Italian hand glove company. Although only her hands were featured in the ad, it came with a nice paycheck.

Alex had been looking forward to Piper's Christmas visit more than she cared to admit, and when she found out that the Chapmans and her mom were going to Australia, the wind in her sail died. She missed Piper and her mom terribly, but she couldn't let them know it—she needed to prove that she was strong and had made the right decision by going to Milan.

She had a tough time writing e-mails to her mom, Piper and even Nicky without giving away the fact that she was homesick. She was seen as _the tough girl_ , and wasn't prepared to let her façade down. So she focused on work and making the most out of her time in one of the world's most beautiful countries.

By spring, Alex was once again enthusiastic about Piper's impending visit. She'd landed two more print ads—one for an Italian hotel chain and one for a frame company. Both gigs paid quite well, and Alex was tempted to move out of the crowded apartment with one other model with whom she'd become friends. When she heard that Piper's trip was cancelled due to a fucking scholarship competition, she composed an e-mail, telling Piper she'd buy the plane ticket even if it she could only visit for three nights.

Alex never sent that e-mail. She stared at it in her Drafts folder for two days, and ultimately hit delete.

Her feelings for Piper were complicated, but one thing she knew for certain was that she wouldn't miss the girl that fucking much if there weren't genuine feelings involved. As the months went on, Alex felt more worldly and successful, which made her question why she'd still be so hung up on a high school senior. She had her pick of women in Milan and had slept with two of them, but both were one night stands. Each time, Alex was drunk and lonely and tried desperately to think of the woman she was with rather than the blonde headed girl back home.

 _She failed miserably_.

Every touch, every kiss and both orgasms were all about Piper. The third time she hooked up with a blonde model from London, she didn't fight it any longer. The moment she closed her eyes, she saw Piper and pretended it was her she was having sex with instead of the six-foot-tall model.

By June, Alex had earned enough money to move out. She and her roommate, Janae, were both from New York and got along exceedingly well. They had similar upbringings and talked about missing home so much sometimes that it hurt. Janae had been in Milan six months earlier than Alex, so she was able to show the brunette around and teach her the ins and outs of modeling that Elite simply didn't want them to know. Janae also liked to eat more than just greens, so she and Alex made a pact to try a new restaurant every couple of weeks and make a decent meal that reminded them of home every Tuesday night.

What kept Alex going was her future trip home the second week of July. She and Piper were still exchanging e-mails, but Alex didn't know where things stood between them. All she knew was that Piper was going to Smith that fall and had been overwhelmed with school until the day she finally graduated. She had hoped that Piper would've read between the lines of her e-mails, especially the ones later in the year, and recognized that she cared deeply for the blonde.

The night before her flight to the US, Alex received a brief e-mail from Piper:

 _I won't be able to sleep tonight. Can't wait to see you._

 _Love,_

 _Piper_

Neither of them had signed postcards or e-mails with that word. Alex reached out to touch the screen, fingertip dancing over _love_ as a smile gently formed on her face. She reflected on that word, wondering if that was what she felt for Piper. It wasn't a familiar feeling; in fact, Alex hadn't been in love before, so she had nothing to compare it to. Reading the word made her feel warm and full and _adored_. Maybe Piper hadn't meant it as a romantic gesture; maybe it was just a friendly way to close a letter, but now _LOVE_ was like a flashing neon sign in Alex's head, taking up all the real estate she had.

* * *

Piper wasn't exactly sure what time she fell asleep the night before Alex was set to arrive back in the States, but she knew it was after 2 a.m. That morning, she woke up at 7 o'clock and bounced out of bed. _This was the day Alex was coming home_. She showered, tugged on a flowery sundress, brushed her now longer, blonde hair, and acted as casually as she could as she entered the living room.

Diane had spent the morning cleaning the house and telling whoever was in the room how excited she was to see her baby girl. Piper admitted that she was eager too, and Diane gave her a look that made the blonde wonder if she'd said too much.

The entire clan piled into Bill's Mercedes and drove the 30 miles to LaGuardia. Piper and Cal both listened to their iPods in the backseat, and the blonde hoped she looked relaxed. Truth be told, she was anything but—her hands were sweaty and her pulse amplified the closer they got to the airport. She tried concentrating on the music blaring in her ears, but when Bob Marley's _Is this Love_ came on, she ran an unsteady hand through her hair and couldn't stop bouncing her leg with anticipation.

Cal gave her a look, followed by a mumbled, "Chill out, Pipes."

She and her brother hadn't talked about the day he'd walked in on her and Alex making out in the bathroom. Piper didn't think Cal was old enough to understand her feelings back then, not that _she_ did either. In fact, she didn't even understand her feelings _now_.

Her anxiousness wasn't just about seeing Alex for the first time in a year; she had no clue where they stood romantically. For all she knew, Alex could be in a relationship with another woman. In that year, the brunette hadn't said or written anything remotely romantic other than the occasional, " _Miss you_."

Additionally, Piper had no idea how to navigate their _situation_ at home. Diane would want to spend every minute with her daughter, and Piper didn't want to get in the way of that. They'd made a promise to Cal not to kiss in the house, and the blonde wondered if that was still valid since the circumstances were so vastly different than they were a year ago. Piper didn't even know if there would be kissing—maybe what they'd done a year ago was just Alex's way of introducing her to Lesbian 101.

"Here we are," her father announced, making the wide turn into the Arrivals area of the airport. "Do you want to go inside to greet her while we wait in the car?"

For a split second, Piper thought he was talking to her, but then she realized that wasn't her role.

Diane put a hand on his arm. "Would you mind?"

"Not at all." He smiled. "We'll be in the cell lot, so just text me when you're ready, and I'll pull around."

Piper had to admit that her father and Diane were a great couple. She didn't know what a happy marriage looked like when her parents were still together—they argued often and rarely exchanged romantic gestures. With her dad and Diane, everything they did seemed to be out of love.

Piper hadn't expected to be invited to greet Alex as she rode down the escalator into baggage claim, but a piece of her crumbled when that became reality. She considered asking Diane if she could join her, but decided against it so as not to expose her strong desire to reconnect with the brunette.

Diane stepped out of the car and closed the door, and Piper's heart sank. She told herself that in less than 30 minutes, she'd see Alex and all would be fine.

Ten seconds later, Diane knocked on the window, and Bill rolled it down. "I'm not very familiar with LaGuardia. Piper, would you mind coming with me?"

Piper's eyes widened, and if her heart could've beat any faster, it might've jumped right out of her chest. "Yes!" she replied, her voice hitching on the one syllable. She took a calming breath and smiled at the older Vause. "I mean, sure; I guess."

She practically jumped out of the car and met Diane on the other side. Piper hooked her arm through the crook of Diane's elbow and looked up at her.

The older woman winked. "I thought you might like that."

"Thank you," she whispered, pushing her body into Alex's mom in a sideways hug.

They waited in the baggage claim area for 10 minutes, Piper checking the Arrivals board twice, noticing that her plane had landed and wondering how long the Customs line was. She explained Customs to Diane as a way to pass time, and as Piper finished the explanation, she saw Alex 20 feet away riding on the escalator.

The blonde's face broke into a huge smile, and she felt the prickle of tears in her eyes. Alex walked down the last five steps of the escalator, a grin spreading wider on her face with every step.

Diane all but ran towards her daughter and wrapped her arms around her. Alex shut her eyes and squeezed her mother.

The brunette pulled back and smiled. "It's good to see you, mom."

"You, too, kid!"

Alex took four giant steps to where Piper was standing and threw her arms around her thin frame. Piper pressed her eyes shut, trying to hold back the tears of joy, but it was no use. One rolled down her cheek and fell onto Alex's shoulder.

"I missed you too fucking much," Alex whispered in her ear.

Piper leaned up, placing a small kiss on Alex's earlobe where no one could see. "Me, too."

They drew back, and Alex held the blonde's face in her hands for a moment longer than any two friends should. Piper hugged her again and didn't pull away until she felt the brunette's purse slip down her arm.

"Welcome home," Piper said with a big smile.

"Let me look at you!" Diane eyed her daughter up and down. "I was afraid you'd be too thin, being a model and all, but I'm happy to see there's still some meat on them bones."

Alex was wearing a pair of white linen pants and a black tank top with a red pashmina over her shoulders, and Piper thought she'd never looked so good. She involuntarily licked her lips as she took in the brunette's stunning physique.

Alex brushed her hair out of her face with one finger. "I think they'd like me to drop 10 pounds, but I'm still getting work, so they can suck it."

As they waited for her suitcase to arrive on the conveyor belt, Alex and her mom caught up, and Piper stood as close to the brunette as she could with a huge grin on her face. Twice during the 15 minute wait, Alex reached to her side to touch any part of Piper that she could reach. The blonde skimmed her fingers over Alex's knuckles at one point, and Alex clutched her hand briefly before releasing it.

* * *

It took all of Alex's strength not to plant a kiss on Piper the second she laid eyes on her. It also took an amazing amount of restraint on the car ride home not to hold the blonde's hand, but their thighs were pressed together, and they stole glances at each other on the entire ride.

Alex told stories of modeling and traveling, and everyone in the car seemed captivated by the brunette's experience. She made it sound better than it actually was, but no one wanted to hear about her battle with homesickness, so she kept that to herself.

When they arrived at the Chapman home, Alex didn't know how long she'd be able to wait before taking Piper in the other room and kissing her senseless. She got the feeling from Piper's glances that the blonde was just as eager to reconnect physically as she was. All that worry over the past year about Piper's feelings dissipating were likely for naught, but she had to be sure.

"I'm making your favorite meal for lunch, hon." Diane unlocked the door as Bill carried Alex's suitcase inside.

"Chicken pot pie?" Alex asked as she entered the once familiar home.

"You got it!"

Alex smiled at her mom. "Can't wait."

Diane hugged her daughter once again. "You probably want to take a shower after such a long flight."

"A shower would be great," she sighed, running a hand through her somewhat greasy hair.

"Your room is exactly how you left it," Bill commented.

"Thanks." She glanced at Piper. "Would you mind helping me with my bags?"

"Not at all," the blonde quickly responded.

"I can do that," Bill offered, taking a step closer.

Piper all but shoved him out of the way. "No, dad. I got it." She grabbed the handle and rolled the bag down the hallway towards Alex's room.

Both women were barely in the room and the door was not even fully shut before Alex tugged Piper by the upper arms and planted a hard kiss on her mouth. She spun the blonde around, pinning her to the door as it finally clicked shut. Piper's hands landed on Alex's chest, but she slowly lowered them to the brunette's waist. Alex's hands moved up Piper's arms, to her neck, cheeks, and ultimately tangled in her longer-than-she-remembered blonde hair.

Moans escaped from their mouths as tongues began to fight for purchase. The kiss was hard and deep, and Alex didn't think she'd be able to see straight if she opened her eyes. Piper's hands traveled around her waist to Alex's back, pulling her even closer. Their faces were smashed together and Alex had to change the angle because of the intense pressure of the kiss.

She tugged the blonde's lower lip before pulling back and breathing heavily.

Alex lowered her head and kissed a trail down Piper's cheek to her neck as she heard the blonde chuckle. "It's nice to be home," Alex breathed.

Piper put her palms on the brunette's shoulders, pushing her back until they looked each other in the eyes. "I didn't know if you'd want this," she admitted in a whisper.

Alex's eyebrows shot up. "Are you fucking kidding?" She captured Piper's lips once again in a far softer kiss and looked at her again. "I've been thinking about kissing you for _an entire fucking year._ "

That was all it took for Piper to plant one on her lover again. The blonde pushed herself from the door and flopped Alex onto the bed. Piper looked down at her with hungry eyes, and Alex reached for her, pulling Piper on top. The brunette ran her hands down Piper's back, to her ass, and then to her bare thighs. It was Piper's turn to tangle her hands in Alex's thick, black locks as they kissed passionately once again.

A knock on the door startled them. "Stop making noises!" Cal demanded in a loud whisper.

Alex laughed against her lover's mouth. "Sorry, kid."

They heard him groan as he shuffled away.

Piper's grin widened. "Were we loud?"

"I guess." She laughed again, and pulled Piper into a full embrace. "I should take that shower."

The blonde sucked on her neck. "You should."

Alex ran her hands up and down Piper's thighs. "You don't seem to be letting me get up."

Piper looked at her, face sobering. She brushed a strand of hair out of Alex's face and took a deep breath. "I want you to make love to me."

She swallowed hard, placing a kiss on the side of Piper's mouth. "Tonight."

The blonde nodded. "Tonight."


	10. Chapter 10

RATED M FOR MATURE. Please don't read this if you're under 18.

* * *

Sitting through dinner and an evening of chatter with her family damn near killed Piper. She tried hiding her longing gazes at Alex, but it was useless. At one point during the meal, Alex had to slap her leg under the table, and Piper was sure it was because of her _ravenous_ look.

When her father finally stretched and announced that it had been a long day, Piper thanked her lucky stars. Diane hugged her daughter again, and Piper figured the older Vause must've hugged her daughter 20 times since her plane landed earlier that day. Cal stayed in the living room to watch some sci-fi thriller, and Alex announced that she was turning in for the night.

Sex was the only thing on Piper's brain, and every tick of the grandfather clock felt like a minute, when in fact, it was merely a second. The wetness between her legs had gotten so bad that she had to change her underwear in the middle of the after-dinner conversation. She couldn't allow her thoughts to flutter to Alex's head between her legs, because it would've been all over right there. Piper had pictured that image a thousand times that year, and that night, it was finally going to happen.

"I guess I'll go to sleep, too," Piper announced as coolly as possible. "Good night, everyone."

She brushed her teeth and washed her face, wondering if Alex would join her in her room, or if she expected the blonde to go to Alex's room. She finished in the bathroom and decided she'd retreat to her own space. Piper put on a matching cotton pajama set that she'd received for graduation. It was a thin magenta tank top and shorts with tiny white polka dots. She thought it looked more grown up than her other pajamas, but she cursed herself for not buying something sexy before Alex came home.

About ten minutes later, Piper crawled into bed and turned off the overhead light in favor of the bedside lamp. Just as she picked up a novel that she'd pretend to read while waiting for Alex, she heard the creak of her door as the other girl snuck in.

"I thought you'd forgotten about me," Piper said with a small smile.

Alex walked towards the bed, wearing a Navy and hot pink patterned shorts set. "Never." She climbed into bed slowly. "You look different."

Piper reached for her. "Different how?"

She put her arms around the blonde. "Longer hair, fuller body; more mature, I guess."

Piper ran her hand down Alex's arm. "Is that a good thing?"

"Yeah," she chuckled. "I mean, you were beautiful before, but now you're…"

The blonde raised her eyebrows expectantly.

" _Stunning_ ," Alex whispered before leaning down to kiss her lover.

The kiss went from gentle to desperate in a matter of seconds, and Piper didn't know what part of Alex's body to touch first. She settled for her ass as she pulled the brunette closer. Alex's hands journeyed from Piper's arms to her waist, and then slowly snaked under her tank top. One hand landed on Piper's breast and tweaked her nipple, causing the blonde to break the kiss and throw her head back.

Piper's movements halted as she allowed Alex to do whatever she wanted to her body. The brunette gently lowered Piper's right shoulder onto the bed until she was lying flat on her back. They stared at each other with serious expressions until Alex grinned. That forced the blonde to smile back at her before biting her lower lip and reaching for Alex's face.

"You're gorgeous," Piper whispered.

Alex's smile grew as she returned her hands to Piper's abdomen, and then to her breasts. She slowly lifted the blonde's pajama top until her breasts were exposed. " _So are you_." Alex leaned over, tugging a nipple into her mouth.

Piper covered her dark hair with her hands and shut her eyes, relishing in the feel of Alex's warm mouth bathing her nipple. The brunette switched to the other one, while one hand snaked down her stomach to the waistband of her shorts. It lingered there too long, forcing Piper to buck involuntarily. She felt Alex laugh against her breast.

"I want you to touch me," Piper requested, heavy eyes blinking twice.

Alex glanced up at her and smirked. "I know you do."

She hooked a thick chunk of dark hair behind Alex's ear. "You don't need to take it slow, you know."

"Oh, but I do." She kissed a path down her abdomen. "I want you to remember your first time."

"There's no chance I'll ever forget this," she whispered, once again bucking up in search of Alex's hand.

The brunette positioned herself halfway on top of Piper and finally snaked her hand under her pajama shorts from the bottom rather than from the top. She cocked an eyebrow up upon realizing that the blonde didn't have on underwear.

Piper smirked. "Surprised?"

Alex ran her fingers over the girl's mound. "I am." She split Piper's folds with her index finger, and the blonde pressed her eyes shut. "You're wet, babe."

"I've been wet all fucking _year_ for you," she admitted.

Alex inserted the tip of her finger into Piper's opening, causing the blonde to jut her hips forward and moan. She took that same finger and rubbed Piper's little nub several times before lowering her fingers again, inserting one a little deeper this time.

"I'm a virgin. You know that, right?" Piper offered shyly.

"Yes." Alex gave her a beautiful, tender smile. "I promise to be gentle."

She reached for the other woman's face. "What you're doing feels amazing."

Alex pulled her pajama shorts lower, revealing only half of the blonde's pussy. Piper could see desire in her lover's eyes as Alex rubbed her mound with her index and middle fingers. Those two digits spread her open, and Alex leaned down to kiss her clit.

"Ahh!" Piper yelled.

"Shhh!" The brunette removed her glasses. "Piper, you _cannot_ be loud. Not in this house."

All she could do was nod as she watched Alex's head dive back down between her legs. She wasted no time running her tongue from Piper's opening to her clit. The blonde clenched both sides of her lover's head and watched Alex go down on her. She tugged Piper's cute pajama shorts until they were dangling around an ankle. Alex scooted all the way to the foot of the bed and spread her lover's bent legs open wide.

"Do you want me to do anything?" Piper panted.

"No," she chuckled. "Just enjoy." With that, she dove in with her tongue once again, bathing her sensitive nub with her lips. She pulled Piper's lips open with two fingers of her left hand and inserted her middle finger of her right hand halfway into her pussy.

" _Fuck_ ," Piper whispered, one arm slung over her head on the pillow.

Alex licked her, seemingly enjoying the way she tasted, and fucked her a little more with the one finger. After another five minutes, an orgasm ripped through Piper like a comet across the sky. Alex had to cover her mouth with one hand while she continued licking her lover until the orgasm subsided.

Piper's stomach moved up and down as she gasped for air. Alex crawled up her body, kissing her abdomen along the way. The blonde could feel her own wetness from Alex's chin across her stomach and chest.

When the brunette reached her head, she looked down. "Not bad, right?"

" _Fuck_ , that was most incredible thing that has ever happened to me." Piper reached for her lover, pulling her in for a searing kiss. She tasted herself on Alex's lips and was more turned on than she thought she'd be. "Can I do you now?"

"You don't have to ask," she giggled between kisses. Alex rolled onto her back.

Piper climbed on top of her, lifting Alex's pajama top over her head so that she could stare at her voluptuous breasts. She massaged them with both hands, and then dove down to capture a nipple in her mouth. It was Alex's turn to buck into the blonde's mouth.

"That feels good, babe."

"I love when you call me that," Piper admitted, switching to the other nipple and twisting a hand under the waistband of Alex's shorts.

" _Babe_ ," she said again with one eyebrow arched.

Piper had never felt another woman's breasts or touched a vagina other than her own, so when her fingers reached the juncture between Alex's legs, she hoped she was doing the right thing. "Is that ok?"

" _Yes_." Alex watched her lover keenly. "Put a finger inside."

She did as she was told. "I like the way you feel—all squishy."

Alex let out a low chuckle and finally closed her eyes, seemingly giving herself over to Piper. The blonde slinked down Alex's body, kissing every inch of fully exposed alabaster skin along the way. When she reached Alex's hips, she tugged her shorts and underwear completely off. She sat up slightly, taking in the beauty before her.

 _I don't think I'll ever want anyone this much again_.

* * *

Piper spent an inordinate amount of time playing with Alex's pussy—touching her inner lips and clit, inserting a finger into her opening, and licking that finger after it was covered with the brunette's juices. Alex did everything in her power to fight the need for release and allowed the blonde to explore her center until her heart was content.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Piper licked her with a long and wide tongue, causing Alex to jut her hips forward and moan. She watched closely as Piper seemed to determine if she liked the taste, and then went in for another two licks. And then three and four, each lick more confident than the previous. By the time she'd licked the brunette ten times, Piper seemed fully invested in eating Alex out, and her face was buried chin deep in her dripping pussy.

"Oh, God, Piper…" Her eyes squeezed shut as she held onto the blonde's head. "Right there!" Alex was as quiet as she could possibly be, but she knew if anyone was in the hallway, they were completely busted. "Fuck, ah, fuck!"

The blonde licked her clean before crawling back up her body. "Did I do it right?" she asked with a bashful smile.

"I'd say," Alex chuckled, trying to steady her breathing. "Come here." She kissed the blonde again, incredibly gently this time.

"I loved doing that to you," Piper whispered. "In fact, I want to do it again right now."

That caused Alex to laugh.

"Shhh!" Piper demanded with a tight grin.

"I need a little recovery time, babe." She kissed her on the side of the mouth.

Piper laid next to her, and they held each other in silence for several minutes. Alex couldn't help kissing the naked girl next to her first on the forehead, then the lips, and then the chest. Before she knew it, they were in full make out mode again, this time naked bodies clashing together. Alex relished in the feeling of Piper's wet pussy on her thigh and shoved a hand down to touch her between the legs. The blonde bucked into her hand and moaned.

Alex pulled Piper by the arms until her ass was sitting on the brunette's chest. "Get on your knees above me."

The blonde followed instructions, positioning her pussy over Alex's waiting mouth. The brunette grabbed the other pillow, propping her head up higher so that she could eat Piper in that position. She made slurping sounds, and it seemed to drive the blonde insane. Alex allowed Piper to fuck her mouth and demanded that she touch her own nipple with one hand. Again, Piper did as she was told and tweaked her nipple with her left hand while her other hand went behind Alex's head to pull it closer to her center.

"Alex! Oh, God, I'm cumming….mmm…ungh, Alex!" Her head flew back as she experienced another potent orgasm.

Piper wasted no time creeping back down Alex's body and kissing her passionately. "You're really good at that."

Alex simply smiled at her, deepening the kiss.

Piper went down on Alex five more times that night, and the brunette returned the favor an additional three times. They didn't fall asleep until 5 a.m., naked arms and legs tangled around each other's sticky body.


	11. Chapter 11

Note: The theme of Book II is "Fallin" not "Broken Wings"- the latter is the theme of Book III.

* * *

 **Rated M for Mature.**

Piper was the first to wake up, completely naked and sticky between her legs. When she glanced at the clock on her bedside table, she was startled to see that it was 10 a.m. "Alex!" She sat up swiftly.

"Hmm?" The other girl didn't open her eyes. Instead, she tried tugging Piper closer.

"Alex, it's 10 o'clock in the morning!" Piper shot out of bed, flinging the sheets completely off. (The bedding had been within an inch of falling off anyway due to the many positions the lovers tried that night. In fact, the bottom corner of the fitted sheet was detached from the mattress.)

She searched around her room for something to throw on, wondering for a split second where in the hell her pajamas had disappeared to. Piper grabbed her robe from a hook behind her door. "What if your mom went in your bedroom to look for you?"

The brunette rubbed her eyes as she rolled onto her back and cocked one leg out. "She wouldn't do that."

Piper couldn't help but to admire her bare breasts and her well-manicured (and now, well-eaten) pussy. "What if my dad knocked and we didn't hear him? What if he peeked in here and saw us…like _this_?" She made a sweeping motion with her arm.

"Relax, babe," she chuckled. "No one came looking for us. It's a Sunday morning…at least I _think_ it's Sunday. Unless things have changed, no one stirs in this house until at least mid-morning on weekends."

"It _is_ mid-morning." Piper put her hands on her hips. "You need to get back to your room undetected."

"You're cute when you're freaked out and bossy." Alex crossed her legs at the ankles. "I used to think your imperiousness was annoying, but now it's… _endearing_." She smirked.

"Imperiousness?" Piper asked, eyebrows high, smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

She reached for her glasses, and the blonde watched her tits sway with the motion. "Don't tell me you don't know the meaning."

"Of course, I do. That's a big word for someone who didn't even take the SAT." Piper grinned, worry turning into intrigue.

"I could _design_ the SAT." Alex got on her knees and crawled to the end of the bed. She sat on the edge, legs dangling off the lip, and pulled Piper between them. "Maybe not the Math section, but certainly the Critical Reading." She extended her neck, wordlessly begging for a kiss.

Piper obliged. "You're _incorrigible_." She bent over and nipped at Alex's lower lip.

Alex's hands moved to the back of the blonde's legs. "An expansive vocabulary turns me on."

"Cantankerous, diaphanous, ubiquitous, idiosyncratic…" Piper offered with a grin that grew wider with each word.

Alex once again extended her neck and met Piper's lips with her own, kissing her hard. The kiss lasted a couple of minutes before Piper pulled back and stood upright. "We really have to be careful."

"We do." Alex's hands roamed under the robe and up the blonde's hamstrings. "You have exceptionally strong legs."

She grinned, toying with the tips of the brunette's hair. "I'm a runner."

Alex removed one hand and untied the robe, allowing the other hand to cup Piper's bare ass. Her head was positioned parallel to her lover's stomach, so she leaned down a bit and placed a kiss on Piper's mound. When the blonde made a mewing sound and ran her hands through Alex's hair, the brunette took that as permission to continue exploring. She parted Piper's folds with her tongue, and Piper gasped. " _Alex_."

The older girl put both hands on Piper's ass, pulling her center closer so that she could properly eat her, and _eat Piper_ , she did. The gentle pecks turned into slobbering kisses, and Alex couldn't get enough of the blonde's juices in her mouth. She licked and nipped at the sensitive pink skin, and finally, her hands rolled around Piper's hips, fingertips opening her pussy fully. Alex used the fullness of her tongue to lick Piper from stem to stern until she came in her mouth, louder than she should have. This time Alex didn't tell her to be quiet. "That's it. Cum for me, babe."

"Ungh, I'm cumming, Alex! God, Alex, fuck me!" She bucked into the other girl's mouth as her knees almost gave out. Piper used Alex's head to steady herself as she rode out the rest of the forceful orgasm.

Alex looked up, mouth covered with a thin layer of juice that glistened around her lips and down her chin.

A blush spread across Piper's cheeks. " _Fuck_ , Alex." She collapsed onto the other girl, forcing them both squarely back onto the bed.

"Was it everything you hoped it would be?" The brunette kissed the side of her mouth.

"God, yes." Piper wiped her lover's chin and considered her question carefully. "I didn't know what to expect." She shrugged. "I mean, I knew the logistics of what would happen, but I didn't know if I would like… _giving_."

She kissed the back of Piper's hand. "And?"

The rosy color of Piper's cheeks deepened. "Of course I liked when you _did that_ to me, but I also liked…doing it to you."

"You can say it," Alex offered with a laugh.

Her eyes were downcast. "I don't know what to call it."

"Making love, having sex, fucking, fingering, eating me out…"

Piper slapped her arm. "Alex!"

"What?" She let out a low chortle and pushed her glasses higher on her nose. "That's what you call it. I guess the terminology depends on the mood we were in when we were in the act. Every time is different."

Piper bowed her head, eyes looking up at Alex. "Did we make love?"

The brunette pursed her lips and flung a piece of dark hair off her forehead with a finger. "There was one time last night when I'd call it that. You?"

Piper's face broke into a smile as if a ray of sunshine had descended upon her face. "Yeah."

They both went in for a hug at the same time, and Piper rested her head on Alex's arm. "I hope we have a chance to do it again before you leave."

Alex pulled back, cradling Piper's face with her hands. "Count on it."

"Although I'm not complaining, especially after what you just did to me, I'd rather not take a risk. Maybe when no one's home."

The brunette smirked. "Sorry, I couldn't resist. It was just… _there_."

Piper bit her lip, and then leaned in to place a chaste kiss on Alex's mouth. "I won't put my pussy in front of you like that again."

That caused Alex to break into a full-fledged smile. "Say _pussy_ again."

" _Pussy_ ," the blonde breathed, and Alex deepened the kiss. "We can't do it again, Al."

"Ok," she sighed. "Soon though."

Piper looked in her eyes. "Soon."

* * *

Four days of her weeklong trip had passed, and Alex was more than a little frustrated that she and Piper only had the one night (and morning) of sex. Although Bill had to work every day, her mom had taken three days off, and Cal was in between summer camps.

She and Piper had stolen a few kisses here and there, but the blonde was more cautious than Alex and wouldn't risk kissing or making out in the home when people were around, which included times when everyone was asleep.

Alex had come up with a plan to visit Nicky one night, and no one thought that was odd—after all, Nicky was her oldest friend. She asked Piper to drive to the Bronx, and they'd stay with Nicky and her new girlfriend, Lorna, for the night. Piper told her father that she was spending the night at a friend's house, so the plan would likely work.

She borrowed her mom's car, giving herself enough time to have dinner with Nicky and fill her in on modeling in Milan, and eventually, what was going on between her and Piper.

"I'm excited for you to meet Lorna," Nicky said around the last of an eggroll. "She's a fucking hottie."

Alex stirred her wonton soup. "There's someone I want you to meet, too."

"Oh, yeah?" Nicky slapped her playfully on the shoulder. "What, did you meet some hot model in Italy and fly her back home on the sly?"

"Hardly." She put the spoon down and looked her friend in the eye. "I'm…involved with someone, but it's complicated."

Nicky lifted her brows. "Is she married?"

"God, no!" Alex jutted her head back. She paused for a moment, thinking of the best way to divulge her secret. _The hell with it_ , she thought. There was no way of making this sound any better than it was. "It's my mom's boyfriend's daughter, Piper."

The crazy haired woman looked taken aback. "Your step-sister?"

"She's not my step-sister, jackass," Alex replied. "She's a girl who I happened to live with for a year due to unforeseen circumstances. We became pretty close last year, and she wanted to… _experiment_ last summer."

Nicky smirked. "Scandalous! Go on."

"We made out a few times before I left for Milan and stayed in touch over the course of the year."

"You were probably more in touch with Piper than you were with me," she said with mock hurt.

"I didn't know where things stood back then or where they were headed." She adjusted her glasses, ignoring Nicky's accusation. "And I came back to Connecticut the other day, and we…"

"Fucked," she interrupted with an extensive grin.

"Yeah, but it was more than that." Alex looked at the ceiling and shook her head. "She's someone I could see myself with, Nicky, like long term."

"She's a senior in high school!" She raised her hands. "The kid's got a whole lot of livin' to do to catch up with you."

Alex pushed the soup bowl away. "She's more mature than most kids her age, and she sure as hell is more mature than you."

"Hey!" Nicky hit her friend again. "So the mysterious guest staying at my place tonight is _Piper_?"

"The one and only." Alex grinned, and she _just knew_ if she looked in the mirror, she'd be embarrassed by her enamored expression.

"You're fucking _smitten_." Nicky crossed her arms. "Look at you, Vause: you're a lovesick puppy!"

"I am not," she tried, feeling her cheeks getting warm.

"Hey, I know it when I see it." The wild haired woman shrugged. "You'll see it when you meet Lorna."

"Oh, so _she's_ the smitten one? Not you?" Alex laughed.

The women finished their dinner, and then walked back to Nicky's apartment ready to meet each other's significant other. If she was being honest with herself, Alex didn't really care that much about meeting Lorna—her mind was singularly focused on getting Piper Chapman naked again.

* * *

Piper had driven to Manhattan more times than she could count, but she'd never ended up in the Bronx. She clutched the steering wheel as she drove through what she considered a rough neighborhood, and then called Alex to find out where she should park.

After finding a spot a block away, Piper pulled her overnight bag out of the backseat and greeted her lover halfway down the sidewalk. "Hi. Is it safe to kiss you out here?"

Alex leaned down and planted a wet kiss on the blonde's mouth. "Does that answer your question?"

The blonde bit her lower lip. "I've missed you."

She tucked a piece of hair behind Piper's ear, and then kissed her again. "Me, too." Alex grabbed Piper's hand and hooked her duffle bag across her chest as they jogged up the steps. She opened the door and made introductions. "Nicky, this is Piper."

The blonde released Alex's hand and extended the same one to Nicky. "I've heard a lot about you."

"I'd like to say the same, but Lurch here only told me about you a little while ago." Nicky shook her hand. "That's not entirely true. She talked about what a pain in the ass you were when she first moved into your house."

Piper gave Alex a look.

"What?" The brunette shrugged, and then tossed an arm across Piper's shoulders. "You _were_ a pain in the ass when we first met."

Piper's fingers grasped her lover's and let her hand slide down, releasing her hand altogether. "You were an egotistical kleptomaniac, but I didn't tell my friends that."

Alex glanced down at her, seemingly trying to hide the smile on her face. "How many times do I have to tell you, I _borrowed_ those cars?"

"I'm not here to referee your little love tiffs," Nicky stated with a grin. "As you can see, this is a small space. You two can sleep out here on the futon. Now for the important stuff. What do you want to drink? I've got tequila, vodka and wine."

The three of them chatted for the next hour, Alex always with a hand somewhere on Piper's body. At one point, Piper leaned her head to her right, resting it on her lover's shoulder, and Alex bent down to kiss her. Piper had never been one for public displays of affection, but she couldn't stop herself in the current situation.

Lorna rolled in after her shift close to 9 o'clock, and the four women talked, ate mint chocolate chip ice cream out of a carton, drank cheap wine, and played a few rounds of poker before calling it a night. Piper loved seeing this side of Alex—she was jovial and funny and affectionate. She'd never witnessed Alex's behavior around friends before, and it was a surprising treat that only served to endear Alex to her even more.

By midnight, Nicky and Lorna retreated to their tiny bedroom, and Alex and Piper put a set of sheets on the lowered futon. They crawled under the pale green covers together, each wearing loose-fitting pajamas. Alex engulfed Piper in her arms, sighing against her head.

"That sounded like a sad sigh," Piper whispered.

She kissed the top of her head. "I leave in three days."

The blonde echoed her groan. "Don't remind me."

They slowly kissed, rubbing each other's arms, before Piper spoke again. "Have you ever consider not going back to Milan?"

Alex brushed blonde hair away from Piper's face. "I'd be lying if I said it didn't cross my mind, but I have to."

"Why?"

She kissed her nose. "Because it's a lucrative career right now. I won't be able to model forever, so I have to take what I can get."

"Would you ever consider going to college?"

"Maybe some time down the road." Alex slid the pad of her thumb across Piper's chin. "When do you leave for Smith?"

She glanced down, saddened by the thought of neither of them living in Greenwich come mid-August. "A month from today, actually."

Alex paused, looking off into the distance, and Piper could see the wheels turning in her head. "You can be with other people, you know."

Piper pulled back, trying to focus on the brunette's face in the dark. The only light in the room was that of a hazy street lamp shining through the slats of the metal blinds.

"Are you suggesting that we shouldn't be…exclusive?"

Alex shrugged. "I wouldn't want to hold you back from anything."

The blonde's head spun as she tried to wrap her brain around those words. "I spent a year thinking about you, Alex, hoping we'd be exactly where we are right now. I don't want anyone but you."

"I feel the same." Alex kissed her. "But that might change, babe."

She shook her head. "It won't."

"I don't want to waste time talking about the future, Piper. Let's enjoy the time we have left." Alex's smile didn't reach her cheeks.

"Ok." Piper bent forward to kiss her lover again, but her mind was focused on the _what if's_ that laid ahead.

They'd made love several times that night, gently, slowly and as quietly as they could in Nicky & Lorna's living room. Piper was still sore from four days before, so Alex didn't use her fingers at all that night. Instead, she bathed the blonde's body solely with her mouth. Alex hoped they'd be able to have sex again before she left, but she wasn't sure if that was in the cards during this brief trip home.

Piper had taken three unpaid days off work, but she needed to be in the lifeguard stand by 9 a.m., so she left early that morning to head back to Greenwich. She'd informed Alex that her father had plans to take her to dinner at Salvatore's if she was up for it on that, her second to last night at home.

* * *

"I like her," Lorna offered as she poured Alex her second cup of coffee. "She's girly, but not too girly, and she's smart—I could tell."

Nicky rolled her eyes, which made the brunette chuckle.

"She's definitely smart—sometimes too smart for her own good," Alex replied.

Nicky took a sip of coffee. "Seems like a keeper."

The brunette looked away and sighed.

"What? She's not?" The wild haired woman asked.

"Like I said yesterday, it's complicated," Alex responded in a quiet voice, blowing on the steaming hot coffee in her mug.

"I can see that, Vause, but she has clearly gotten under your skin." Nicky put a tablespoon of sugar into her cup. "I've known you for 10 years, and I've never seen you in this…condition."

"What condition?" She blushed and ran a hand through her thick hair.

"News flash, kid: you're in love!" Nicky exclaimed through a laugh.

She felt the blood rush out of her face, her arms and hands tingled, and her chest felt warm. It was as if Alex had swigged a potion that revealed what was quickly becoming obvious— _she was in love_. She placed her hands on the kitchen counter as if she might faint.

"You ok?" Lorna put a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm…" Alex took a deep breath. "I need some space."

"Are you gonna be sick? Cause I can't have you puking on my carpet," Nicky said.

Lorna shot her girlfriend a look. "It's a lot to take in, honey. Take all the time you need. I'll go get a cold washcloth."

"What the fuck good will that do?" Nicky called after her.

"I'm fine," Alex tried. She felt the color coming back to her face and took three more deep breaths.

"Usually when people realize they're in love, they experience joy and elation." The redhead sat on the stool next to her. "What's going on with you?"

She didn't know how to reply, so she just shook her head. "I don't know."

"Here, this will help." Lorna placed a cool, damp rag on her forehead.

Alex silently thanked her. "I can't be in love with Piper. Long distance is one thing, but 3,000 fucking miles is another. Besides, she's going to college in a month and should spread her wings."

"Your problem is you want to make this easy, Vause, and it's not." Nicky shrugged. "Let me guess, you already had the conversation about not being exclusive?"

Alex looked guilty.

"You're the one who told me, from a very young age I might add, that I need to roll with it—life takes us in unexpected directions, and if we try to control it, we'll fail every time." Nicky put her hand on her friend's back. "Your words, not mine."

She was right, Alex knew that much, but if she was in love with Piper, she couldn't fathom how a relationship would work until she moved back to the US, and the brunette had no idea when that would be.

"Would you mind if I took a shower?" She needed to get out of that room—the room that would forever be known as _The Truth Room_.

"Go right ahead," Lorna said. "There are towels under the sink."

Alex had a lot of thinking to do, but she would try to follow her own advice and not get too far ahead of herself. She'd never been a planner to begin with, so why this situation was different escaped her.


	12. Chapter 12

They ended up going to Salvatore's that night for dinner, and Alex excused herself early to hang out with Brandon and the valet crew with whom she'd spent the past year becoming friends. Piper couldn't fault her lover for enjoying the boys' company, but she wanted Alex to herself. They didn't have plans to hang out after dinner, and there was a niggling in Piper's mind, wondering if Alex was trying to distance herself already to make it easier for her to get on a plane in 48 hours.

The brunette didn't come home that night until after 2 a.m. Piper knew that because she'd gotten up to use the bathroom when she heard the key in the door. She rushed back to her room, hoping that Alex would join her in bed, but she went to her own bedroom and didn't surface until much later the next morning.

Diane had taken a half-day at work so that she could spend the afternoon with her daughter. Piper didn't know where they'd go, but they disappeared all day and into the evening hours. She tried concentrating on the brilliant sunshine on the lifeguard stand that day and the tan she was getting, but her brain was exclusively focused on Alex's imminent departure.

Piper liked math, which meant she liked solutions. She couldn't have this thing hanging over her indefinitely and needed to talk to someone about her feelings. Polly was hopefully the answer.

She made arrangements to meet Polly at the Harper home for an early dinner that night, knowing she'd want to be home no later than 8 o'clock on Alex's last night.

Piper never enjoyed dinner at Polly's house, because it was terribly formal. They couldn't take their food to the living room and eat on TV trays; rather, everyone had to sit in the dining room and practice their etiquette. The blonde sat next to Polly's mom, who went on and on about running for Junior League president, while Mr. Harper ignored every word. Piper ate the spinach & artichoke stuffed chicken as fast as she could, and then gave Polly a look, indicating that she'd had her fill of Harper family time. Polly's parents reminded Piper of her own—very little affection and completely self-absorbed—and she figured it was only a matter of time before they'd divorce, too.

She'd never told her best friend anything about Alex other than the occasional complaint early on in their relationship, so Piper's big disclosure was surely going to shock the other girl.

They retreated to Polly's enormous bedroom, and Piper closed the door. "There's something I haven't told you, Pol."

Her friend gave her a strange look. "That doesn't sound good."

She sucked in her lips and closed her eyes, inhaling and exhaling before divulging her secret. "I had sex with Alex."

Silence filled the air, and Piper slowly opened her eyes to see a confused Polly.

"Alex, as in the short, redheaded wrestler at school?"

"No." If the moment wasn't so tense, Piper would've laughed at the thought of having sex with _that_ Alex. "Not Alex O'Malley; Alex Vause."

Polly knitted her brow. " _Girl_ , Alex?"

The blonde nodded.

"Holy shit!" She put a hand on Piper's arm. "Since when are you into chicks?"

"I'm not—at least I don't think I am." Piper lowered her eyes. "I'm into _her_."

"Wow, this is quite the development." The other girl sat on her bed and crossed her legs. "I'm listening."

"My attraction to Alex kind of blossomed last year before she moved to Milan. There were times when I wanted to kiss her, and I thought something was wrong with me; like I was wired differently," she explained, fiddling with the hem of her shirt. "I mostly ignored my feelings, but there were a few moments when we were together that just felt, I don't know…" Piper trailed off and looked out the window at a tree's branches, swaying in the wind.

"Like what?" Polly asked.

"Like the reason Alex and I didn't get along at first wasn't that we didn't like each other—it was the exact opposite." She spun around to face her friend. "When we're in a room together, Pol, we gravitate towards one another, and it's like we _have_ to touch. Before she left for Italy, we finally kissed, and I swear I could see fireworks." Piper let out a long, anxious breath.

"Go on, Katy Perry."

Piper gave her a sideways grin but never lost her solemn expression. "I've thought about Alex _every fucking day_ over the past year, and I was afraid to tell you anything, because I knew you'd judge me." A tear dripped down her face, and she watched it hit the hardwood floor. "Polly, I think I'm in love with her."

The brunette didn't speak—she looked like she'd seen a ghost.

"I know this is a lot to take in." She swatted another couple of tears away. "But please, say something."

Polly shook her head. "I…wow, sorry…this is a lot to process."

Piper felt like the porcelain doll that she'd thought of herself as a year ago when Alex kissed her too softly for fear of breaking her. She felt exposed and stripped naked as she stood in front of her friend, waiting for a response. Piper didn't know if she was crying because she was afraid of falling in love with a _woman_ who lived thousands of miles away, or if she was embarrassed that her friend would ridicule her for being gay.

"Come here." Polly hopped off the bed and tugged the blonde into her arms.

Piper blubbered until she just about crumbled. She could feel the big circles her friend was rubbing on her back and could hear the occasional, " _Shh, it'll be ok_." Piper had no idea how long they stood there like that, but the tears finally subsided and she pulled back.

"Thank you." She wiped her eyes with her shirtsleeve.

Polly grabbed the box of Kleenex next to her bed. "Tell me everything."

Piper began from the moment she met Alex to present day, and Polly allowed her to speak uninterrupted.

"First of all, I'm not judging you. If you like girls, then you like girls." She lifted her shoulders.

Piper sniffed. "I don't know if I _only_ like girls; I just know I like this one… _a lot_."

"I think you should follow your heart, Pipes," she said with a hand on her friend's thigh. "If it's with Alex, and it sounds like it is, then let it happen. Be happy."

Piper glanced at her friend with wrung-out eyes. "You really mean that?"

She grinned. "Why not?"

The blonde leaned in for a tight hug. "I can't tell you how much this means to me, Pol."

"It's going to take me a while to process all of this, but I'm on your side." Her friend pulled back. "Whatever you need, let me know."

Piper nodded and gave her the best smile she could muster. "I should go. This is Alex's last night at home."

Her friend walked her to the door and gave her one last hug. "Call me tomorrow."

With that, Piper left the Harper house and headed home.

* * *

Alex and her mom had a memorable day in New York City. They drove by their old apartments, ate a late lunch at the Jewish deli that Alex loved as a child, and got half-priced tickets to an off Broadway show. While it was true that she missed Piper most, Alex loved her mom and had always enjoyed spending quality time with her.

They made it back to Greenwich around seven, had dinner with Bill and Cal, and then Diane retreated to take a hot bath and soak "her barking dogs."

Alex was in her room, packing, when Piper rolled in just after eight.

The blonde tapped on her door. "Hi, can I come in?"

"Wouldn't that have been a great question to ask a year ago when I was trying to have sex with that woman I'd brought home?" Alex snickered. "I think her name was Candy…or was it Cindy?"

"I took great pleasure in busting you that day." Piper grinned, shutting the door behind her. "I didn't realize back then that jealousy was my primary motivation."

The brunette folded a shirt. "I did."

"Really?"

She put the blouse in her suitcase, and then picked up a pair of shorts. "I didn't understand it fully, but I had a feeling you didn't want me to kiss another girl."

Piper sat on the lip of the bed next to the suitcase. "I didn't."

Alex dropped the shorts into the suitcase, and then moved it onto the floor. She sat next to her lover and grabbed her hand. Her expression shifted upon looking into Piper's eyes. "You've been crying."

Piper averted her eyes.

Alex lifted her chin with two fingers. "What's going on?"

The blonde swallowed hard. "I told Polly about us."

Alex raised her eyebrows. "That was brave of you."

She shrugged, and Alex could tell that Piper was holding back tears.

"Oh, babe." The brunette reached for her, tugging her close as Piper whimpered. She could feel warm tears on her shoulder, so she pulled back and wiped Piper's cheeks. "Don't cry."

"I'm just sad that you're leaving." She sniffed as her chin quivered. "I feel like my heart is breaking into a thousand little pieces."

That caused Alex's eyes to sting.

Piper wiped her own tears away, but it was fruitless as many more fell. "We don't even know when we'll see each other again."

Alex reached out, rubbing the blonde's cheek with her thumb. "Then let's make a plan."

It was the first glimmer of hope she saw in Piper's eyes as the girl nodded and looked directly at her.

"Christmas—you're welcome to come to Italy to visit me, or I'll come here. Whatever you want." Alex felt a wet droplet trickle down her own face.

Piper wiped it away and left her hand on the brunette's cheek. "Promise?"

"Yeah." Alex leaned into the touch. "Stay with me tonight."

Piper's head bounced back as if she didn't expect the request.

The dark haired girl leaned forward to kiss her. "I'll set an alarm for 5 a.m., and you can go back to your room before anyone gets up."

The other girl nodded. "Ok."

Piper went to her room to change into her pajamas, leaving Alex alone for five minutes. She quickly finished packing and hoped she had the courage to tell Piper that she loved her. Those words had never tumbled out of her mouth to anyone, so she wasn't even sure what it would feel like to make such a confession.

The blonde tip-toed back into Alex's room, locking the door behind her, and then proceeded to slowly undress in front of Alex. Piper stood in the middle of the room, completely naked, and the brunette had to wonder if she was showing her more than just her body—perhaps Piper wanted her to know that she was completely vulnerable and exposed. _And she was hers_.

Alex reached for her, and the blonde stood between her open legs as Alex touched every part of her body with her hands and mouth. By the time she finished her exploration, she looked up to see desire in Piper's stormy eyes. The brunette gently tugged her onto the bed before shrugging out of her own clothing. She wrapped her arms around Piper's thin frame, feeling the girl's arms reach around to return the embrace.

They kissed tenderly before Alex removed her glasses and looked at Piper's face. Her heartrate increased as she stared into the blonde's blue eyes, and Alex knew she just had to get the words out. Maybe they'd give Piper a reason to not give up on her despite the miles between them.

"What's wrong?" Piper asked.

"Nothing." Her voice hitched, so she tried to smile to cover up the sadness that began creeping into her heart. "Piper, I want you to know…" She looked down and tried again. "Before I leave, I want you to know something." Those three little words tumbled in her head like clothes in a dryer. She closed her eyes and tried to focus on the moment. Upon opening her eyes, she would tell her.

 _One, two, three_ , she counted.

"I'm in love with you, Piper."

The blonde's wet gasp seemed to catch in her throat as a smile slowly spread across her face. "You are?"

Alex nodded, relief apparent on her face.

Piper placed her hands on the other girl's cheeks. "I'm in love with you, too. So very deeply in love."

That was all it took for Alex to lean forward and kiss the living shit out of Piper. If their lips could be fused together for a lifetime, Alex would take it. She'd never felt more alive than when she was with Piper, and she never wanted that feeling to end.

They made love four times that night, whispering words of love, laughing, crying and holding on to each other for dear life. Although they'd had sex multiple times during that trip, it wasn't until that night when Alex truly felt that they were tethered together as one.

* * *

Piper didn't go with Diane to drop Alex off at the airport the next morning. _She couldn't_. The previous night, she'd consulted with Alex about it, and both agreed that it would be a messy goodbye—something they wanted to avoid in public. Their farewell when they woke up together that morning was hard enough, and Piper was emotionally spent from crying so much over the last 24 hours.

The blonde was thankful that she had to lifeguard that day; at least that would keep her mind somewhat occupied with something other than Alex. Piper had no idea where their relationship was headed, but at least she knew that they were squarely in love, and that counted for something.


	13. Chapter 13

**This chapter is rated M for Mature. Please read responsibly**. It's a long chapter to tide you over for a few days.

* * *

Alex enjoyed living with her modeling friend, Janae, in Milan, and she was thankful to be out of the cramped quarters she'd lived in the previous year. She had to get back on the healthy eating train, or else Elite would drop her. The hand glove contract was extended, which made the brunette happy because the photo shoots she booked for gloves didn't capture her whole body. She could be a hand model for the rest of her life if they'd have her.

She talked to Piper every week, and they e-mailed and Skyped regularly as well. They'd had video sex twice over the last three months, and it turned Alex on to no end. However, it was difficult for Piper to not only find the time, but also to find the privacy to do that with her. If Alex had her way, they'd fuck on camera every single day.

Alex's preference was that Piper would go to Italy over Christmas break, but they just couldn't come up with a good enough game plan to sell it to their parents without raising suspicion. Diane seemed to know something was going on between them, but the brunette figured her mom thought they were very just close friends. Piper had told Alex that she'd tried to convince her father to take the family to Italy for Christmas, but he didn't bite. _There was too much going on at work_.

Being in love had begun as a sort of sadness in Alex's life, and she wondered what the hubbub was all about if it hurt so fucking much. As time marched on and she and Piper were able to establish more of a routine, being in love started to feel more like it was portrayed in books and films. Her heart felt physically full—something she'd never experienced and didn't anticipate. Alex found herself smiling for no reason all over town or seeing something that reminded her of Piper at a store and chastising herself for the goofy grin that crept across her face. She thought of her lover at every turn and wished that they could be together in a more traditional way. However, Alex knew that couldn't happen for many years to come, if it happened at all.

By Thanksgiving, she couldn't take it anymore—Alex missed Piper too much to go another several months without seeing her. Furthermore, she'd promised the blonde that they'd be together somehow over Christmas break. She purchased a $2,100 plane ticket and didn't think twice about the expense. Alex had the money; that wasn't the issue. She'd landed several modeling gigs that paid a decent wage and was even able to save some of her earnings. She knew that it would be difficult to keep doing runway shows as time ticked on, because she refused to starve herself to compete with other models. What she'd do professionally after that was anyone's guess, but she hoped to be able to move back to the States and find something equally profitable.

Two days before her trip home, she called Piper to confirm the plans.

"Hey, babe."

"Hi!" She could _hear_ the smile on Piper's face every time they spoke. "I'm about to take my last exam for the semester."

"Good for you," Alex said, unable to hide her own smile. "Were you planning to drive home tonight?"

A door shut. "No, I think I'll wait until tomorrow. It's supposed to snow tonight, so I don't want to risk it."

"I have an idea," she began. "What if you met me in the City tomorrow night? I could get a hotel room for us."

She pictured Piper biting her bottom lip. "I'd love that, but what about your mom?"

Alex shrugged. "I'll tell her Nicky's picking me up, and that I'll spend the night at her place."

"Will she buy it?"

Alex poured fat free dressing onto her cucumber salad. "I don't see why not."

Piper sighed. "I just don't want her to be disappointed that she can't see you the second you're in town."

She'd come to learn over the course of a year and a half that Piper was quite thoughtful. Alex also gathered that her lover was fond of her mother.

"I love my mom," Alex began. "And I'll spend a ton of time with her while I'm home, but my priority when I land is seeing you— _being with_ you."

There was no doubt Piper was blushing after hearing Alex's comment. "I'd like that very much."

"Good." She pulled a fork out of a drawer. "I'll forward you my flight information and text you when I land."

"Sounds good. I can't wait to see you."

"Me, too, babe. Good luck on your exam." She hung up the phone and grinned from ear to ear.

* * *

Piper's first semester of college was rocky at first as she adjusted to being in classes with people smarter than her. She wasn't accustomed to that in high school, and in many ways, her public school had been entirely too easy. College was very different—she had to budget her time more appropriately and actually read the assignments ahead of time. By her third week of class, Piper had three, 20-page papers due in unrelated classes.

The other adjustment, of course, was life without Alex. She'd already had a year of knowing what that felt like, but this time, they were in love, which surprisingly made it a little easier. Piper wished that her lover was there with her in Northampton, but that was an impossibility, at least for the immediate future. It gave her solace to know that Alex enjoyed modeling, but the blonde hoped that the European assignment didn't last another full year.

Having Polly as her roommate was probably the best decision Piper had made before enrolling at Smith. The two had always gotten along well, and living together was no different. Still, Piper enjoyed going out with other girls in her dorm and had no trouble making friends.

By the time finals rolled around, Piper couldn't wait to see Alex. Although they had Skype sex a few times, it wasn't enough. She had difficulty finding the time and the privacy to do that for fear of Polly walking in. When her roommate started dating a guy from U Mass, Piper figured next semester could be more conducive to having video sex with Alex.

She'd started the countdown to _real sex_ with Alex two weeks before the brunette was scheduled to fly back to the US. When Polly asked what the marks on her calendar were, she told the truth. Polly had rolled her eyes and told her not to get her hopes up too high because of their living situation in Greenwich. The blonde had already experienced Alex's visit the previous summer, so she was hyper-aware of the conditions in which they had to live.

The morning of Alex's arrival, Piper popped out of bed like a cork, eager to make the trek into New York to see her lover. She showered, shaved her legs, curled her hair one ringlet at a time, put on a light coat of makeup, and laid out three outfits from which to choose. She wanted to look sexy but comfortable, so she tried on each piece clothing on before settling on gray, skinny leg corduroys and a white tank top under a winter-white cashmere sweater.

She had to inform Polly of her plans just in case her father called in search of her. (She'd told him that she had one more day of finals, which was only a half-lie since she _did_ have a paper due that day, but she'd turned it in the day before.)

By noon the roads weren't as icy as they were the night before, and the traffic into New York wasn't bad. She took her time driving in the snow and was glad that her parents had given her a new BMW for graduation. (She was supposed to get it at the beginning of senior year, but her mom put up a stink, so the day Piper graduated from high school, the new car was waiting for her in the driveway.)

On the two hour drive to LaGuardia, Piper reflected upon the difference in her feelings about seeing Alex again. Last summer, she'd been a nervous wreck—she hadn't known if Alex even wanted to be with her romantically. This time, they were in love, and although Piper was still somewhat nervous, it was far more exciting. The fact that Alex reserved a hotel room was icing on the cake.

The brunette texted her from the airport just as Piper entered Queens, and she texted _welcome home_ at a stoplight. She found herself smiling and laughing at herself as she drove 15 more minutes to the Arrivals area.

Piper told her lover she'd park her car and enter the airport near baggage claim where Diane and she had picked her up in July. The blonde refused to do a drive-by pickup and was hoping that they'd have time to slip into a bathroom stall to kiss.

She'd contemplated buying flowers, but Alex would have no place to put them other than in a glass at the hotel. She couldn't very well bring them home and say they were from Nicky—Diane would see right through it.

Piper waited next to the water fountain for Alex to arrive, just as she had five months earlier, and her pulse increased with every minute that passed. She glanced at her phone to make sure she hadn't missed a call or a text, and when she looked up, Alex was coming down the escalator. Piper took several giant steps forward, crashing into her lover without a care in the world about who might see them.

Alex pulled back, her hands flying to Piper's face, and kissed her passionately in the middle of baggage claim. She tasted like coffee, and the blonde couldn't get enough. Piper shoved her hands under Alex's coat, pulling her closer by her hips.

The brunette smiled against her mouth. "It's good to see you."

She ran one hand down the back of Alex's head. "I can't believe you're here."

"Believe it, babe." She tugged Piper into another embrace, planting several dry kisses on her lips.

The women held hands and made small talk as they waited for Alex's luggage. It finally arrived, but Piper pulled her in the opposite direction.

"Where are you going?" Alex seemed confused and stopped walking. "The exit is that way."

"Don't you have to use the bathroom?"

"I used it before I went through Customs," she explained. "But thanks for being oddly considerate."

The blonde placed her fingertips on Alex's cheek. "Let me rephrase that: let's go to the bathroom, Alex."

"My little, rule-following Piper…" The dark haired girl lifted one eyebrow. "What's gotten into you?"

Rather than answer with words, Piper yanked Alex towards the nearest restroom and entered the handicap stall, locking the door behind her. Within seconds, the blonde was all over her. Alex didn't need any prodding—she put her hands on Piper's hips and began pulling at her tucked in tank top. Once enough of the tight-fitting tank was removed from her pants, Alex thrusted her hands under it, searching for her breasts.

"Have they gotten bigger?" She asked between kisses.

Piper smiled. "Maybe."

Alex dipped her head lower, yanking the fabric of her red bra away before sucking a nipple into her mouth.

"Mmm, that feels good." Piper put her hand on the back of her lover's head.

"Excuse me, is someone in there?" The voice of an elderly woman asked.

Piper looked under the door to see a wheelchair. "Crap."

Alex chuckled and straightened Piper's bra and then her disheveled hair. "To be continued."

The blonde lowered her eyes as she walked out of the bathroom, mumbling, "Sorry" to the woman in the wheelchair, but not really sorry at all. It had been far too long since Alex's tongue had swirled around her taut nipple, and she couldn't wait for what was sure to be an impressive re-do at the hotel.

* * *

Alex couldn't help herself on the drive into Midtown—she leaned over several times, kissing Piper on the cheek and neck. The blonde swatted her away a few times, but Alex sensed that she was actually enjoying the attention.

They reached the Club Quarters Hotel, where Alex had scored a discount because it was Elite Modeling's contracted hotel, and checked into their 12th floor room.

"Wow, this is nice." Piper walked to the center of the room, admiring the artwork and the view.

Alex didn't care about any of that—the only thing on her mind was making love to Piper. She met her in the middle of the room and wrapped her arms around Piper from behind. She placed tiny kisses behind the blonde's ear and appreciated the moan that rolled from deep within.

"Finally, we're alone," the brunette commented between kisses.

Piper turned in her arms, wrapping her own around Alex's neck. "Finally."

"No pesky little brothers or annoying friends." She grinned. "We can be as loud as we want."

Piper tilted her head. "Is that what you're into—obnoxiously loud sex?"

Her smile broadened as she leaned down for another kiss. "You should feel free to express your pleasure without having to subdue your cries of joy."

She put a hand on Alex's chest and pushed back slightly. "And how, exactly, do you intend to make me… _more vocal_?"

Alex moved her hands under the blonde's coat, effectively removing it and watching it fall to the floor. She placed her palms on Piper's hips, once again untucking her shirt and finding bare skin seconds later. Alex resumed kissing her lover, more deeply this time, as her fingertips made contact with Piper's breasts.

"Mmm," the blonde mumbled, reaching down to tug Alex's shirt over her head.

As soon as the brunette was free of the garment, she sucked on Piper's neck.

Piper threw her head back, exposing more skin, and shut her eyes. "That feels really good."

With one swift motion, Alex pulled the blonde's sweater off and her mouth flew to her right breast. She bathed Piper's nipple with her tongue and sucked the nub until it was impossible for it to become any harder. Alex did the same with the other nipple, and used her weight to force Piper onto the bed.

She crawled up the blonde's body, kissing her belly, her breasts, and then her mouth. Alex's hands reached between them to unbutton her corduroys and her hand disappeared under the waistband of Piper's underwear.

The blonde bucked into her hand. " _Alex_ ," she moaned.

Nothing gave the brunette more pleasure than watching Piper come undone. "I want you to cum for me."

Piper gently pushed Alex's shoulders, indicating where she preferred the brunette's face. "Use your mouth."

Not that she needed an invitation, but Alex welcomed the demand. She rolled down her lover's body, stopping to nip at her toned stomach along the way. When she reached the juncture between Piper's legs, she noticed her bright red, lacey thong. Alex grinned as she tugged Piper's pants all the way off.

Alex rubbed Piper's thighs, and then her hands journeyed under her ass. "Did you buy these for me?"

The blonde smirked. "Do you like them?"

Alex slowly lowered the fabric. "I do." She dove in, nose first, and took a big whiff of Piper's center; a move that was swiftly followed by her tongue.

Once again, Piper's hips jettisoned off the bed, and she moaned. Alex licked around the red underwear, holding the thin fabric to the side as she bathed her lover's pussy with her tongue and lips. She traced one hand up Piper's abdomen until her fingers settled on her left breast. Alex toyed with the blonde's nipple while she continued to lick her center. Not five minutes passed before Piper orgasmed loudly. "Ungh, Alex! Fuck…"

Alex kept sucking her clit with a little more pressure. "Keep going, babe."

"Oh, my God! Alex, fuck!" She writhed beneath the brunette and grabbed a fistful of black hair. "Don't stop! Ungh!"

Alex loved that Piper was screaming for her, and she could feel the wetness pooling in her own underwear.

Piper reached for her as her orgasm subsided, so Alex pulled herself up next to the panting blonde and placed a few kisses on her chest before planting a wet one on her mouth.

"Was that loud enough for you?" Piper smiled.

"That was pretty good," she let out a low laugh and brushed her lover's hair across her forehead. "But I think you could do better than that."

Piper sobered and touched Alex's face. "I love you."

She smiled so wide it must've looked like her face would break. "Love you, too."

* * *

The couple dozed off for a few hours, and Piper awakened Alex with kisses on her bare, broad shoulder.

The brunette rolled over, rubbing her eyes. "Is it morning?"

Piper smiled. "No, it's just past 6 p.m. We must've fallen asleep right after we got here."

"I hate adjusting to the time difference." She grabbed her lover's hand. "Are you hungry?"

She put a hand on her tummy. "I am, actually."

Alex scooted off the bed and found the room service menu. She put her glasses on and perused it with her index finger moving down the page. "A burger and fries sounds amazing. Is that alright?"

Piper sat up and stretched, revealing her perky breasts. "Do they have a turkey burger? Or veggie?"

"You going all lean on me, Pipes?" Alex smirked, eying her girlfriend up and down.

"No, I had a hamburger at the Smith cafeteria last night," the blonde confessed, getting out of bed and walking towards her unopened suitcase. She unzipped the bag and pulled out a thin, long sleeved red shirt. She threw it over her head and pulled her blonde hair from the neck of the shirt.

Alex picked up the phone and placed the order, requesting one medium rare burger and one black bean veggie. She also ordered two Heinekens for old time's sake. After hanging up the phone, the brunette sauntered over to her lover. "Why are you putting on clothes?" She placed her hands on Piper's hips, bunching up the red fabric.

The blonde tied her hair in a low ponytail and grinned. "Room service will be here soon, and I don't intend to answer the door naked."

" _I'd_ prefer you naked, so I'll answer the door." She moved behind Piper and wrapped her arms around her waist and rested her chin on the blonde's shoulder as she admired the Manhattan skyline. "This is such a gorgeous city."

Piper covered her lover's arms with her own. "It is."

"I want to live here someday," Alex confessed.

The blonde twisted her head to look at her. "Someday soon?"

"Maybe." She shrugged. "I don't plan to stay in Italy forever."

Piper put a hand on Alex's cheek and kissed her softly on the lips. The brunette pulled back only slightly to gaze into Piper's eyes, and then leaned in to continue the kiss. Piper turned in her lover's arms, putting her fingers on Alex's ass and drawing her closer. The other woman lifted the red shirt over Piper's head and threw it to the side.

"We should close the curtains," the blonde said between kisses.

She shook her head. "Mm mm."

The sun had already set, so the city was lit up with lights from buildings surrounding the hotel. The clear night also produced a swath of stars. There were two lamps on in their hotel room, bathing the space in a soft, cerulean glow.

Piper tilted her head, giving her lover adequate skin to kiss along the column of her neck. "You want people to see us?"

"I don't necessarily _want_ them to see us," she continued kissing along Piper's collarbone. "But I wouldn't mind if they did."

Piper surprised her by shoving her against the large window and crawling down her body. The blonde kissed her stomach as she reached for the armchair to her left. She tugged it over, and then sat in it, throwing Alex's left thigh over a shoulder. She looked up at her lover with a craving in her pupils. "I want them to watch me make love to you."

Alex's hand glided to the blonde's head as it dipped between her legs. " _Fuck_ ," she whispered as soon as Piper's tongue touched her clit.

The blonde continued to lick her lover's pussy, opening it with her thumbs as her palms rested on her inner thighs. Piper made sucking noises as she moaned, clearly enjoying the task at hand.

Alex's head flew back, top of her skull resting against the cold glass, and her eyes squeezed shut at the pleasure Piper was providing and the fact that if anyone in the building directly across the street was looking out the window, they were getting a free, hot, lesbian sex show.

"You're going to make me cum, babe," Alex announced unnecessarily. She bucked her hips forward. "That's it. Right there…Piper! Ungh, fuck!" She continued producing deep, guttural sounds as Piper ate her pussy. Alex noticed that the more comfortable her lover became when she went down on her, the more she seemed to love it.

When Alex's orgasm ran its course, Piper stood slowly, bathing her stomach, breast, and then chest with kisses. "I love when you cum in my mouth," she said almost bashfully.

The brunette allowed the full force of her limp body rest against the window as her hands draped over Piper's shoulders. "I love when you go down on me."

The blonde sucked on the skin behind her ear as Alex reached down with one hand to spread her folds. "You're dripping wet, babe."

"Sometimes I think I could cum just by making you have an orgasm," she said between sloppy kisses.

Alex bent over and lifted one of Piper's legs until her foot rested on the seat of the armchair. The brunette pushed her chest lightly, indicating that she wanted her to stay exactly where she was—the front of her body exposed to the window. She swiftly kissed a path down Piper's torso until she was on her knees, face in front of her lover's center. Alex touched her pussy with her long, middle finger, dragging it from her opening to her clit three times, and then pulled her finger to her mouth, sucking it.

"Mmmm," the blonde moaned. She extended one arm, putting her palm flat against the window and the other on top of Alex's head.

"Feels good?" the brunette questioned, dipping her head forward to lick her lover's pussy.

"Fuck…yes." She jutted her hips forward to meet Alex's mouth. "I can see our reflection in the window."

Alex smiled against her center. "How do we look?"

Piper opened her fingers more to get a better grip on her lover's head as she smashed it against her pussy. "Hot."

Knowing that Piper thought they looked hot having sex drove Alex insane with desire. She sped up her motions with her tongue and inserted two fingers into her pussy. She loved the way the blonde tasted and took a second to swallow her juices and lick her lips before diving in to eat her again.

"Yeah, Alex! Right…oh, God! Right there! Oh, God! Alex, I'm cumming!" She verbalized her pleasure loudly, making the brunette even more eager to please. Alex opened her mouth as wide as she could, taking all of her lover's tender pink flesh into her mouth and sucking as forcefully as she could.

Piper's orgasm lasted nearly a minute, and when she was done, she collapsed onto the armchair, gasping for air.

The brunette wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and rested her chin on her lover's thigh. "That was a strong one, babe."

"It might've been my biggest one ever," she admitted, swiping her hand down Alex's cheek with little finesse.

"I think you're right." She smiled, getting off her now aching knees to kiss Piper on the lips. "Wanna take a shower before room service gets here?"

"Together?"

"Of course," Alex said around a laugh.

"Then, yes." She raised her hand to allow the brunette to pull her up. "I think we might've violated this chair."

She drug the blonde into the bathroom by the hand. "Fuck it. I paid enough money for them to get it steam cleaned."

"Maybe I'll tell the front desk agent that on the way out tomorrow," Piper offered.

She smirked. "What, that there might be some pussy juice on the armchair in room 1205?"

"When you put it that way…" Piper laughed as she waited for her lover to turn on the hot water.

They stood under the hot spray together, and the blonde's fingers almost immediately went to Alex's center while her mouth traced a nipple. Alex loved how handsy her lover was even after just having had a powerful orgasm.

"Can I insert another one?" Piper fingered her lover under the warm water until they heard a knock on the door.

The brunette smiled. "Hold that thought." She didn't even dry off—she stepped out of the shower, wrapped herself in a towel, and answered the door. "I'm in the middle of some hot fucking sex. Let me sign the check right here, and you can give me the tray."

The room service attendant's mouth hung open. "Um, ok. Enjoy your meal."

Alex smirked. "Oh, I will."

* * *

Their plan to get away for one night worked brilliantly, and Piper's center was sore for the next two days. Alex had fucked the hell out of her twice that night, but the other three times were more _making love_. At one point when Alex must have thought that the blonde had already gone to sleep, she developed teary eyes and Piper heard her sniffle. That moment negated any question Piper had about Alex's deep love for her.

Diane and Bill were just as curious about Piper's first semester at Smith as they were about Alex's modeling career in Milan. The family spent a copious amount of time together, leaving Alex and Piper very little alone time. They went against their promise to Cal long ago not to kiss in the house, and almost every night, the brunette snuck into Piper's room so that they could have sex and sleep tangled together.

On Christmas morning, Bill, Diane and Cal went to church, but Piper and Alex stayed home. Piper'd had a mild argument with her father about missing the service, but she'd stood her ground. Besides, she needed time to exchange gifts with Alex.

Alex handed her a small, wrapped box. "Merry Christmas, babe."

Piper had insisted that once the family was gone, they'd sit in front of the massive, decorated Douglas fir in the living room to exchange gifts.

The blonde made quick work on the wrapping paper and opened the tiny box. She pulled out a pair of silver and diamond studded olive-leaf earrings. "Alex, they're gorgeous!"

"I'm glad you like them." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "There's a shop just outside of Milan where this little old, Italian lady makes jewelry. These are one of a kind." Her cheeks flushed. "I could be cheesy and say, ' _like you_ ,' but that's not my thing."

"Cheesy's not your thing?" Piper leaned over, placing a hand on her lover's cheek and kissing her delicately.

Alex shook her head. "Mm mm."

"I love them." She kissed her again. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," the brunette whispered with a tender, closed-lip smile.

"Your turn." She reached behind her to grab a red envelope, and then sat on her lover's lap with her back against the base of the sofa.

Alex rubbed her leg. "What's this?"

She wrapped her arms around Alex's neck. "Open it."

The brunette ripped the envelope open carefully and drew out a slip of paper. "It's a plane ticket."

She nodded. "Read it."

"New York to Milan." Alex scanned the ticket as a smile spread like butter across her face. "Are you coming to Italy?"

Piper tilted her head. "I am."

"Oh, my God!" She kissed her hard on the mouth. "This is…when?!"

"I don't know exactly," Piper offered. "It's a refundable ticket during my spring break, but I wanted to check with you to see if you're ok with those dates."

"Of course I am!" She kissed her lover again, this time lowering her to the floor. Alex bathed her face with kisses as the blonde giggled at their joyous, somewhat playful makeout session.

The playfulness subsided and they stared into each other's eyes, each thanking the other for the thoughtful gift. Piper went down on Alex, right on the Oriental rug and under the twinkling lights of the Christmas tree. Although they had to be quick, Piper considered it one of the most tender moments that they'd shared to date.

* * *

The night before Alex flew back to Italy, Bill asked that they have a family dinner at home. He grilled steaks, and Diane baked potatoes and made a Caesar salad. Piper and Alex had planned to stay in that night anyway under the guise of catching up on relatively new movies that they hadn't been able to see in Milan or at college.

During the salad course, Cal regaled everyone with experiments he'd already conducted from the _Scientific Experiments_ _for Teens_ book that he'd received for Christmas. Alex wondered if Cal was a short step away from growing marijuana in his room and convincing his dad that it was "just another experiment."

"I wanted to have this family gathering not only to bid farewell to Alex, but also to tell you all some important news." Bill took a sip of wine, and then looked at his smiling girlfriend. "Diane and I decided to make it official."

"We're getting married," Diane exclaimed, holding her hand out for everyone to see the ring.

Piper took Diane's hand to look at the ring. "Congratulations!" She stood to hug each adult.

"Wow, mom, that's great," Alex offered with a smile. She put an arm around her shoulders for a side hug.

Bill poured each of them a tiny glass of wine and held his own for a toast. "I am grateful to Diane for agreeing to be my wife, to my kids for accepting her, and to Alex for allowing me to make her mother happy. Cheers!"

They clinked glasses and the conversation turned to wedding plans. Alex was genuinely happy for her mom, hoping that she'd found a good man, but there was something about Bill that never settled quite right with her. There was also a trigger that set off an alarm that she and Piper would soon be step-sisters, but she dared not mention anything about their relationship at the dinner table.

Later that night, after everyone had gone to sleep, Alex crawled into Piper's bed.

"When our parents marry, does that mean I'll be fucking my step-sister?" she chuckled against the blonde's collarbone.

"Eww!" Piper swatted her away. "Alex, that's disgusting."

"I know." She kissed her cheek and paused for a moment. "Do you think we should tell them about us?"

"No," Piper replied without explanation.

The brunette lifted her brows. "So, what, we're just going to continue being in a secret relationship for years to come?"

"When you move back to the States, we can discuss it," Piper said with conviction. "But there's no sense in telling people about us when you live halfway around the world."

Alex chewed on that as she pulled Piper closer and kissed her on the temple. There was reason in her lover's statement, but she wasn't convinced that living a double life was the best thing for them.

End Book II

* * *

Thanks for the reviews so far. Even the negative ones keep me going. Book III will be posted in a few days when I return from my travels. Unlike the first two books, the third is filled with raw emotion that will flip this story upside down, so I'm giving you a few days to prepare for some serious angst. Comments and reviews are welcome on this site, but please direct questions to my saintsavory Tumblr account.


	14. Chapter 14

BOOK III: BROKEN WINGS

The only word to describe Piper's visit to Italy in the spring of her freshman year was _magical_. Alex had shown her all of her favorite places in Milan; they travelled to Venice to ride the gondola and Bologna to enjoy culinary delicacies. No matter where they went—whether on the way to a cathedral or admiring a century-old monument—Alex and Piper were joined at the hip and freely expressed their love. The entire trip felt as if they were in a fairytale.

Alex had a runway show on one of those days, so Piper got to see her strut her stuff. The sex that ensued afterwards was the best either woman had ever experienced. To say that Piper was a generous lover was an understatement. Although a week was entirely too short, Piper had relished every moment of the trip.

Alex came back to the US again that summer, but something had shifted between her and Piper. In Italy, they'd been spoiled by their anonymity, and Piper hadn't worried about their public displays of affection; however, in Greenwich, she would hardly be caught alone in the same room with Alex much less hold hands in public. They'd taken a giant step back from where they were two years ago when they'd first started messing around. Back then, Piper was willing to hold hands in a park or make out in the car—now the blonde wouldn't hear of it. " _I don't want anyone to be suspicious_ ," Piper had explained. Alex left it at that, primarily because her trip was only 10 days long, and she hadn't wanted to spoil it with a fight that was generally unnecessary.

Piper went back to Smith for her sophomore year of college, and things with Alex still seemed fine. The only squabbles they got into were about coming out to Piper's family, and at that point in her life, she simply couldn't deal with the drama that would cause with her father. The _newness_ of being in love had worn off, but they were still committed to being together (as together as they could be when they were 3,000 miles apart.)

The next time Alex traveled to Connecticut was for her mom's wedding to Bill Chapman. It was in the spring of Piper's junior year at Smith, and she'd informed the blonde almost in passing that she was afraid that her modeling days were coming to an end. She'd landed three deals with European designers, but all three terminated their arrangement not long after they began. Alex had gained weight and looked like a healthy 21-year-old with curves everywhere they were supposed to be. However, hers was not the look the clothing designers were seeking, nor was her body the shape that Elite Modeling kept on the payroll.

At the May wedding, Alex chanced a kiss on Piper's neck in the middle of the cake cutting portion of the evening, and the blonde's mouth hung open at her audacity. She'd pulled away and considered slapping Alex right then and there but was afraid that would've drawn unwanted attention. They'd argued about it that night, and Piper still resisted coming out. The fight escalated the morning of Alex's trip back to Milan.

Bill had taken them out for brunch, and Alex drank four mimosas and one Bloody Mary before the two hour brunch was over. She was tipsy to be sure, and when they arrived back at the Chapman house, Piper could tell she was in a mood.

"What's going on with you?" Piper asked as she shut her bedroom door.

She sauntered towards the blonde, stumbling a bit. "What do you mean?"

Piper lifted her eyebrows and folded her arms. "You're drunk."

"Yeah, so what?" The brunette shrugged. She took a step away, and Piper could see her take a few deep breaths before facing her again. "I don't want to deal with this shit anymore."

The blonde shook her head. "What _shit_?"

"I'm 21-years-old!" Alex ran a hand through her hair. "I'm tired of hiding our relationship. When I come back to Greenwich, we still have to sneak around like teenagers, and that fucking sucks," she huffed and paused before adding, "I'm not willing to do this indefinitely."

Piper shrugged, arms still crossed. "I don't know what to tell you."

Alex gave her a look, and then grabbed the girl's forearm and marched into the living room.

"Bill, there's something I want to tell you if my mom hasn't already filled you in." She let go of Piper's arm. "I'm gay."

He lowered the newspaper. "Excuse me?"

The brunette looked at her mom. "You haven't told him?"

"It wasn't my place, Al," Diane said with distressed eyes.

She put her hands on her hips. "Is _that_ the reason, or is it because you were afraid if he knew your daughter was a lesbian, he wouldn't marry you?"

" _Alex_ ," Piper whispered with wide, blue eyes and shock in her voice.

Diane shook her head and Piper could see a puddle of tears forming in the older woman's eyes. "You know that's not why."

The brunette turned to Bill. "I'm no better or worse a person because I'm gay, and if you hold my sexual orientation against me, you're far less of a man than my mom deserves."

"Alex, _please_ ," the blonde pleaded, putting a hand on Alex's elbow.

The dark haired woman twisted her neck and glanced at Piper expectantly. "Is there anything you want to tell your father?"

"I…" She looked like a deer in headlights. Piper closed her eyes, realizing that this was the moment of truth. In 20 seconds, she could confess to her dad that she was in love with Alex. She took a deep breath, and then opened her eyes. "No, there isn't."

Alex shook her head and whispered, _coward,_ so that only Piper could hear. She walked to her bedroom and slammed the door.

A few seconds later, Piper appeared. "What the _fuck_ , Alex?"

She threw a few items into her carry-on bag and ignored the blonde.

"My father has an extremely hard time accepting homosexuality," Piper tried, crossing her arms. "You've known that as long as you've known me, and coming out to him is _not_ in our best interest."

"You mean in _your_ best interest," she said in a raised voice.

"He writes a $50,000 check every year for me to attend one of the best colleges in the country," Piper began, taking a step closer. "If I come out, he will cut me off. I can't do that right now… _I won't_."

The brunette let out a suspicious laugh. "So this is about money?"

Piper jutted her chin forward. "No, it's about my education—my future."

"Because _I_ don't have a future." She licked her lips. "That's what you're insinuating, right?"

"Don't you dare put words in my mouth!" Piper yelled.

"I'm not good enough for you," Alex replied, ignoring the blonde's statement.

She stepped back. "Where is this coming from? I've never _said_ nor _implied_ such a thing."

Alex didn't respond at first. She closed her eyes, and thought about where their conversation was headed, a little more drunk than she probably should have been to hold her own against Piper. She decided to return to the larger topic at hand. "To not be able to sleep in the same bed with the woman I love is fucking ridiculous. It's _childish_ , and I'm not a fucking kid."

"As soon as I'm out of college, and you're back in the States, we can talk about living together," Piper tried again in a much softer tone.

"I don't know if I'll be back in a year." Alex spun around, facing the window rather than the other woman in the room.

"We discussed this." She creased her brow. "The plan was that you'd return when you couldn't model anymore."

"Things change! I don't have a roadmap of every detail of my fucking life like you do!" She faced Piper and shook her head. "I don't want to hide our relationship anymore. It was fine in the beginning, but now it's _exhausting_." Alex exhaled and averted her eyes. "Maybe we need a break. It doesn't mean I don't love you, but I don't want to live like this."

The blonde's eyes widened. "Are you breaking up with me?"

"That might be what's best for a while," came out in a shaky breath.

Piper sat hard on the edge of Alex's bed and stared straight ahead, mouth agape.

"Look, it doesn't mean we can't be together in the future." Alex bent down and took her hand. "But I want to be with you when you feel comfortable in your own skin."

"I _am_ comfortable in my own skin," Piper protested.

Alex glanced down, and then back up at her. "Then let me rephrase my statement. I don't want to hide anymore. When you're ready to let your family know about us, we can talk."

Piper brushed a tear off of her cheek. Alex was leaving in 20 minutes, and there was no way to fix this in that time. She didn't know what to say—all she knew was that this time, the love of her life was saying goodbye in more ways than one.

"I _do_ love you, Pipes." Alex stood and kissed her on the forehead. "Go. Spread your wings."

Her chin quivered. "This isn't what I want."

"It's not what I want either," Alex let out a frustrated sigh. She tipped Piper's chin up with two fingers and placed a tiny kiss on her lips.

When the blonde didn't respond, Alex hooked her bag over one shoulder, and then pulled her suitcase handle up. "I understand if you don't want to ride with us to the airport." She put her hand on the door knob. "Take care of yourself, Piper."

The second Alex left the room, the blonde crumbled to the ground, disgusted at herself for not loving Alex enough to stand up for their relationship.

* * *

It came as no surprise to Alex that she was released by Elite Modeling two days after her return to Milan. She'd said goodbye to the woman she loved, and her heart felt like someone had ripped it right out of her chest. She loved Piper but refused to spend another year of her life hiding from the people who mattered most.

Alex chose not to inform her mom about her relationship with Piper, because there was a good chance she'd tell her new husband. She didn't want Bill to find out that his daughter was gay through back channels—Piper needed to grow up and take responsibility for her choices.

The blonde had tried contacting Alex by text, calls, e-mails and Skype, but Alex didn't reply to any of them. She needed enough time to pass so that Piper understood that they were really over until she was able to be honest with her family. It wasn't fair to _anyone_ that they'd kept their relationship under wraps. The ball was in Piper's court, and in the meantime, Alex needed to figure out what to do with her life.

Over the next few months, she was in a tailspin—she went from partying only on weekends to five nights a week with no steady income. (The only nights she didn't drink or do drugs were when she was too hungover to indulge.) Alex had wisely saved a good chunk of change during her earlier modeling years, so she was able to pay rent and sustain some semblance of a normal life during that period of time. Janae was worried about her and told her as much, but Alex promised that she was good for rent money until the end of summer. Trouble was, she didn't know if that was true with the way she was blowing cash on booze & drugs.

One of the photographers she'd befriended a year earlier got her a gig selling dime bags, but Alex wasn't thrilled about the opportunity. She made a few transactions and counted the pennies that she earned, but it just wasn't worth it. Another guy offered her a better position within a drug cartel, and Alex was so desperate that she jumped at the chance to earn twice as much money as she'd made as a model. They'd promised that she wouldn't 'technically' be selling drugs to clients, and Alex appreciated that she wouldn't be labeled a _drug dealer_ , so the position suited her just fine.

By autumn, Alex was able to pay rent and put food on the table without issue. Janae asked how she'd earned the money, but the brunette lied and told her that she'd saved more than she actually had. Alex tried almost every drug offered to her—she'd do anything to get high so that she didn't have to think about Piper. She swore to herself that if she spiraled out of control, she'd quit the drugs cold turkey, but as it stood, she was making a decent income and having fun in the process. (Truth be told, she had fun when she was high, but there was a complete absence of joy in her daily life.)

Piper's attempts at contacting Alex had waned by that point, but she still reached out weekly in one form or another. She'd e-mailed the brunette at one point with this: _Alex, I need to know you're alive. I'm begging you to write back_.

She read the e-mail one night when she was high on X and replied without thinking it through: _Alive_. She'd wanted to say so much more—that she was nothing without Piper, that her life was in shambles, that she did drugs to forget, that she hadn't so much as kissed another woman—but none of that came out. Alex withdrew deeper into herself, and the only thing she was good at was bringing in cash for a fucking drug cartel.

* * *

Piper's grades suffered that semester, because she couldn't keep her mind off of Alex. She was furious with her former lover for cutting her out of her life. Alex had called her a coward, but what she was doing to Piper was equally cowardly. The blonde simply couldn't tell her father about their relationship while he was footing the bill for her to attend Smith, plus the car payment for her new BMW. Alex probably thought of her as being selfish, and perhaps she was, but she was also allowing her father to invest in her future.

Unlike Alex, Piper had her eye on the prize—she'd graduate from Smith soon and do something in mass communications or become a writer that much was certain. Other than the modeling deal that fell into Alex's lap, not once had her ex-lover shown any desire to plan for her future. That had always turned Piper off, and now, she felt justified in her disenchantment.

Nevertheless, Piper loved Alex, and nothing the brunette did (or didn't do) could make that love vanish. She was worried sick about her ex-girlfriend, so she confronted the only person who would know Alex's whereabouts. She'd gone home for a long weekend in early October with every intention of talking to Diane.

Piper poured a glass of orange juice, trying to act as casual as possible. "Have you heard from Alex recently?"

"She sends me e-mails pretty often, but I haven't spoken to her in a couple of weeks. That's not unusual though." Diane glanced at her. "Why?"

Piper looked down at her waffle. "I'm worried about her."

Diane raised her brows. "Is there reason to worry?"

"She's not modeling, you know." She pushed a piece of dough around in the Mrs. Butterworth's.

"No, I didn't know that." Diane folded her arms.

The blonde looked up. "I called Elite Modeling, and they told me she was let go a few months ago."

"Huh." Diane furrowed her brow. "She didn't tell me that."

"She would never want to disappoint you."

The older woman put her hands on the edge of the counter and leaned forward. "How's she earning money?"

Piper shrugged. "I think she saved quite a bit when she was working."

She pulled her mobile phone out of her pocket. "Would you mind if I called her?"

That was exactly what the blonde wanted. "No, not at all."

Diane dialed the number, and Piper could hear the phone ring. "Voicemail," she whispered. "Hi hon, it's your mom. There's something I want to talk to you about. Call when you get this."

Piper put her hand over Diane's. "Please let me know when she calls back."

Alex had called back hours later when Piper was at lunch with her father, and Diane reported everything sounding fine. Her daughter had admitted that she wasn't represented by Elite any longer, but she still had a couple of modeling contracts that paid the bills.

Although suspicious, Piper took Alex at her word and tried contacting her again. When the brunette didn't respond, Piper figured that was it—Alex didn't want anything to do with her. It damn near broke Piper's heart, but she had to find a way to move on, at least until she graduated from college.

* * *

Alex made friends in all the wrong places, but she continued to enjoy traveling on the cartel's dime. She quickly gained responsibility, which made her feel useful and even somewhat powerful. When she was home in Milan, she treated Janae and a few other friends to fancy dinners, and she enjoyed being able to provide for them.

One night in their small apartment, Janae broached a taboo subject. "We've been friends for a long time."

"Yeah, I guess." Alex took a sip of gin.

"I'm worried about you, Al."

"Why?" she chuckled. "I have enough money for rent and utilities. In fact, I was thinking we should move to a bigger place."

"Nah, I'm not trying to move." She turned the kitchen chair around and straddled it. "What ever happened with you and Piper?"

Alex sat up straight and averted her eyes. She hadn't heard anyone say the blonde's name aloud in months, and it made her heart ache.

Janae grinned. "Did I hit a soft spot?"

She scratched her head. "Piper refused to tell our families about us being a couple," she replied, as if _all_ answers lay in that one statement. "I can't be with someone who isn't authentic."

"I hear you," Janae said. "But you two were like _crazy_ in love."

"We were," she admitted in a whisper.

"She probably deserves to at least know where you're at," Janae tried.

The brunette's ears perked up. "Has Piper contacted you?"

"She might've reached out…"

"Damn it!" Alex interrupted, slamming her hand against the table. "She needs to move the fuck on!"

"Why?" Janae lifted her shoulders. "She loves you, Vause."

Alex stood abruptly, nearly knocking her stool over. "We _cannot_ be together!"

"See, that's the part I don't get." Janae looked up. "I know it has nothing to do with distance since ya'll been doing that thing for years."

Alex spun around, arms out to her sides. "I don't deserve her!" She blurted out. "We were never on equal footing…Piper is this…this _ray of sunshine_ , and I'm a dark fucking cloud, aimlessly wandering the sky."

Janae shook her head. "I don't think she sees it that way."

"Of course she doesn't!" Alex shouted, tears prickling her eyes. "Piper sees everything in fucking Technicolor. She always has a plan and sticks to it. Why the fuck would she want to be with someone like me?"

"She seemed to be doin' just fine."

The dark haired woman shook her head, and then looked down, one hand on the back of a chair. "Piper is everything she should be without me, and I'm _nothing_ without her," she whispered in an unsteady voice.

Neither woman spoke for a moment, so Alex drained her glass before shuffling to her bedroom. Before she entered, she turned to her roommate. "Please don't ask about Piper again."

Janae held up her hands in surrender.

It was in that moment when Alex fessed up to herself: Piper not coming out to her family was the surface-level reason why she had broken up with her. If the blonde knew that Alex didn't feel worthy of her love, Piper wouldn't have allowed them to part ways—she'd have listed a hundred reasons why they were good together. Trouble was, Alex believed every word she uttered to Janae that night—she might've been able to go toe-to-toe with Piper for a few years, but now, her ex-girlfriend was light years ahead of where Alex was, and the brunette refused to weigh her down like an anchor.

* * *

Note: I won't lie - Book III was extremely difficult to write not from a plot standpoint, but from an emotional one. I hope it settles well with you despite the angst. I also hope that the reader understands Alex's legitimate reasons for breaking up with Piper. Please let me know what you think.


	15. Chapter 15

Piper's grades picked back up at the beginning of her final year at Smith, and the summer internship she'd had at _Time_ developed into a full-time offer upon graduation. Her father was immensely proud of her, and that meant the world to Piper. She'd e-mailed Alex the news, but as she presumed, there was no reply. She knew that getting on with her life was a priority, but that didn't mean she didn't love Alex. Piper didn't consider herself the desperate type, but she also didn't like being alone.

Polly had been dating Pete from U Mass, Amherst for the past year and a half, and he'd been trying to set Piper up with an exchange student from Italy since the semester started. The blonde didn't know if she was gay or bisexual, and she owed it to herself to figure it out. She agreed to meet Piero on an evening hike that October, and Pete was eager to make introductions.

Polly gave her friend all of the support and encouragement she needed to make the date _an adventure if nothing else_. Of course, the blonde thought about Alex and felt like she was cheating on her, but her former lover had made it crystal clear that they were no longer a couple; Piper was the one who hadn't yet accepted that. The blonde promised Polly as well as herself that she'd go into the date with an open mind.

"Piper, this is my buddy, Piero," Pete said with a pat on the other man's back.

The Italian man was incredibly attractive with his sandy blonde hair that would probably curl if it wasn't cut so short. He was tall and muscular, and Piper recalled that he and Pete met playing intramural soccer.

"Nice to meet you." She shook his hand. "Pete told me you're on exchange from Italy."

"Yes," he replied. "And you're from Connecticut?"

She nodded. "I know someone who lives in Milan. What city are you from?"

"Milan is a beautiful place." He threw a backpack over his shoulders. "I'm from Bologna."

"I've been there." She smiled. "I visited my gir…" she paused and cleared her throat. "I visited my _friend_ not that long ago."

The word _friend_ stuck in her throat like a bone, and Piper hated referring to Alex that way. They were never friends in the purest sense of the word—they were lovers who had a few things in common, but make no mistake about it, friendship wasn't their priority when they were together.

Piper and Piero continued talking about Italian food and culture as the other couple led the hike. The blonde genuinely enjoyed conversing with the exchange student and didn't mind that the hike was a bit more strenuous than she thought it would be. Alex would never have considered going on a hike with her—that was far too outdoorsy for her. If by some chance, they _did_ go on a hike due to Alex losing a bet, Piper figured they wouldn't make it 500 feet before Alex would have pulled her into the bramble to fuck. She blushed at the thought.

When they reached a lookout point, the gang stopped and set up a picnic of sandwiches, potato chips and beer. Polly had made Jungle Juice, which was what the blonde went for instead of the Budweiser that the guys popped open. They gazed at the stars, and Piero identified constellations in Italian as he moved closer to Piper.

They drank under the stars with blankets covering their bodies in the chilly October air, and Piper closed her eyes as the alcohol took effect. She concentrated on taking deep, slow breaths and allowed her mind to wander. Not surprisingly, the blonde's first thoughts were of Alex, but unlike in the past, she let the idea of the other woman drift away. Perhaps it was the Jungle Juice in her system that allowed her to release the image of Alex, but it was refreshing that it didn't stick around like an unwanted house guest.

"Italy has some of the best mountain ranges," Piero announced after a sip of his third beer. "I've climbed Mount Viso twice."

"Was it difficult?"

"Not so much." Piero reached over and grabbed the blonde's hand, and Piper looked at him with mild trepidation, but then allowed him to entwine their fingers under the blanket.

They laid there in silence as her heart beat faster at the thought of being with a man. She hadn't been with one since Larry, so the prospect of kissing Piero was intriguing. Perhaps that was exactly what she needed to help her let go of Alex.

Two hours after they'd arrived, Polly and Pete started gathering their supplies and cleaning up the mess they'd made. Pete put out the campfire and announced that they should get back to Amherst for the Sig Ep Fall Blast. Piero suggested that the next time they decided to go for an evening hike, they pack gear to spend the night. Piper found herself nodding in agreement.

The two held hands on the walk back, and they all piled into Pete's Jeep to head back to U Mass.

"Will you go to the party with me?" Piero asked, arm around Piper in the backseat.

"Sure." She leaned into him and took a deep breath of his cologne. Piero smelled like a man, and one part of the blonde enjoyed the strong, musky scent. The other part of her missed the sweet, tropical smell of her ex-girlfriend.

"How much longer are you on exchange?" She asked when they pulled up to the Sigma Phi Epsilon house.

"My last day is December 8 when class gets out," he offered. "I don't have any finals."

She walked beside him into the house. "Where will you go from here?"

"Sapienza," he replied, taking her hand again. "I'll graduate in June."

"Is that the University of Rome?"

He nodded.

"I think it has the biggest enrollment of any European university," Piper said, pulling her jacket tighter with one hand.

Piero grinned. "How do you know these things?"

She returned the smile. "I read a lot."

Piper excused herself for a moment to find Polly so that she could tell her that Piero was a nice match. The brunette was thrilled to hear that they hit it off and gave Piper a full cup of some sort of orange alcoholic concoction. The blonde sipped the cocktail as one of her classmates from their Sociology class bumped into her. They made small talk long enough for Piper to have finished the drink and go back for a refill. Piper had been tipsy when they arrived at the party, but by the time she was halfway done with her second Sig Ep cocktail, she was well beyond that.

She found Piero talking to two guys in a room off the main entryway, and just taking the 10 or so steps over towards him was difficult. She stumbled and realized that the orange drink was stronger than the Jungle Juice that Polly had made.

"Whoa, you ok?" Piero asked, throwing an arm around her waist.

She smiled up at him. "What's in this drink?" Piper took another couple of sips of the orange liquid.

"My guess is Everclear," he chuckled. "A far cry from Campari."

"That's the red Italian liquor, right?" She hiccupped. Upon his nod, Piper continued. "My dad drinks that stuff—it's bitter."

Piero grinned. "It's perfect with a touch of soda."

The two of them sat on a bench and laughed at the round of flip cup in front of them. Piero put his hand on her leg, and the blonde enjoyed the touch. Piper asked him to refill her red Solo cup with the alcoholic concoction. At first he protested with " _Are you sure you want to drink more of that stuff_?" She blinked heavily and nodded. He leaned in to kiss her on the cheek before following orders. Piper looked up at him and saw double. She somehow managed to find his lips with her own.

Piper was just sober enough to distinguish the stubble against her lips when they landed on Piero's face, and she couldn't say that she enjoyed the roughness. His mouth was much wider than her ex-girlfriend's, and his tongue felt denser than Alex's. She also didn't care for the man's breath, but she liked the way he held her as they kissed on the bench.

"I'm very tired. My apartment is two doors down." He rubbed her back. "What do you say we get some sleep?"

Sleep sounded good to the blonde, so she nodded and followed him outside.

"I might be drunk," she hiccupped and covered her mouth.

He laughed and took her hand. "I will help you walk."

She stumbled and had to lean against a tree for a moment. Piper shut her eyes and remembered the last time she was that intoxicated—it was years ago when she'd told Alex that she wanted to kiss a girl. Her eyes opened wide at the memory.

"Are you ok?" Piero asked, brushing hair out of her face.

The blonde rubbed her eyes and pushed herself off the tree. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Good. How about a piggy back ride?"

She giggled. "I love your accent."

Piero bent down so that she could get on his back. "I get that a lot."

Piper had a difficult time getting on his back as she laughed at the situation and continued to hiccup. She finally made it, and Piero walked at a fast clip down the sidewalk until they were in front of a small apartment building. He inserted his key and carried her up one flight of stairs.

He dropped her and she almost fell on her ass. "We're here."

"I can stand," she said with resolve in her tone. "I can do it." Piper attempted to stand straight but it was a feeble attempt. The blonde didn't take the time to look around the sparsely furnished apartment. She held Piero's hand as he drug her to his bedroom and undressed down to his boxer shorts.

"Would you like to borrow something to sleep in?" He handed her a yellow shirt.

She nodded, absentmindedly taking off her clothes, including her bra, and slipping into the t-shirt.

Piper crawled into bed, noticing that his sheets smelled just as manly as he did—she didn't care for the scent. Piero joined her under the covers and wrapped his arms around her. They began to kiss, and once again, Piper couldn't help but notice the annoying stubble around his mouth. She tried to concentrate on his hands as they roamed up her body. The touch was exhilarating, except for the calluses on his hands.

"I've never had sex with a man," she blurted out.

Piero smiled. "Do you want to have sex with me?"

She didn't respond verbally, because she didn't know if that was what she really wanted, especially in her condition. Instead, she kissed him and focused on the physical pleasure that coursed through her veins. Before Piper knew it, Piero was ripping open a purple Trojan package with his teeth. He rolled on top of her and she could feel his erection on her thigh.

"Is this ok?" He asked.

Again, it was as if someone had ripped her vocal chords out of her neck, and she didn't respond. She ran her fingertips over his muscular stomach and onto his chest. Piper closed her eyes and played with his nipples as she thought about Alex's breasts and how much she enjoyed touching and sucking them. She reached up and bathed one nipple with her tongue not liking the feel of his chest hair that matted against him as she licked the nub. Piper felt his penis slip inside of her, and _it felt good_.

She let him thrust into her and enjoyed the feeling of being filled as he sucked at her neck. She thought about Alex and possibly using a dildo if they ever got back together.

Alex.

Alex.

 _Alex_.

"No, get off me!" She pushed his chest, but Piero had just finished cumming. "I don't want to do this."

He panted as he rolled onto his back. "I asked if you were ok."

Piper reached for her clothing and quickly ran into the bathroom, feeling cum drip down her leg. She rushed to the toilet and puked her guts out. Piero didn't hold her hair back or offer to get a wet towel like Alex had done many years ago. She turned on his shower and stepped under the steaming hot spray, scrubbing her skin and crying—both acts were viciously raw.

Several times in the shower, Piper had to steady herself against the wall—she was still intoxicated and now due to the tears in her eyes, she couldn't see straight. She ran a bar of Ivory soap between her folds over and over again, washing out any trace of the man she'd just fucked.

His body was so very different from the one she'd grown accustomed to, and Piper wanted nothing to do with it. Although it had felt good to be touched by another person, it wasn't the person she wanted, and that made Piper sick to her stomach again. She hurled in Piero's shower until there was nothing left in her stomach, and crumbled to the ground in a fit of sobs.

Piper finally pulled herself together at 2 a.m. while Piero was sleeping soundly in his bed.

She caught the 24-hour shuttle back to Smith, looking every bit as horrible as she felt. When the blonde reached her dorm room, she was thankful to see Polly there alone.

"Pol?" She felt a tear ripple down her cheek. "Polly?" She shook her friend. "I need to talk to you."

Polly rolled over and rubbed her eyes. "What time is it?"

She sat on the other girl's mattress and told her about sex with Piero. Polly was shocked that her friend had gone that far and didn't think Piper was _that_ intoxicated.

Polly held her friend's shoulders. "At any point, did you say, 'no'?"

"It was like I was paralyzed." She continued crying. "I didn't say _anything_. I just kept comparing the way he felt to the way Alex feels," she sobbed. "I don't want anyone but her, Polly! I made a _huge_ mistake."

Polly looked her in the eye. "Tell me he used protection."

"Yeah," she sniffed. "I mean, I saw him rip the condom package open." Piper pulled back as if in deep contemplation. "I'm pretty sure he put it on."

" _Piper_!"

"Please, don't yell at me, Polly." Her tears multiplied. "I was so drunk…"

The brunette threw her arms around her friend. "Everything will be fine."

The blonde was so emotionally wrought that it frightened her roommate. Polly just held her friend until they fell asleep in her twin bed, pillowcase stained with Piper's tears.

* * *

Alex woke up shivering in a luxurious hotel room with at least three other adults strewn about the room. From her horizontal vantage point on the sofa, she could see a couple asleep on the floor and an older man snoring in an armchair with an bottle of tequila tucked next to his leg. The balcony doors were flung open and a frigid breeze wafted in. Alex figured it must've been that way all night.

Or day.

Or whatever the fuck time it was.

On the coffee table to her left lay an empty bottle of Cava and a razor next to a small bag of cocaine. She rubbed her nose, wondering if she'd partaken in that particular bag or if there was another area set up with "the finer stuff."

She'd been on a two-week bender, partying with members of the cartel and their clients in Madrid and then Barcelona. Alex didn't know what city she was in much less the day of the week. She stumbled out of the hotel, noticing a Christmas tree in the lobby and twinkle lights around a fountain in the courtyard.

She wiped her eyes as she walked down the narrow street, and when she looked at her fingers, they were covered with mascara. Alex figured she looked like a scary, drugged out clown walking the streets of what she soon realized was Barcelona. She pulled out her cell phone, searching for the e-mail with confirmation of the hotel where she was staying—she knew it wasn't at the place she'd just left, because her luggage was nowhere to be found.

The brunette checked the clock on her phone and noticed it was just past 4 p.m. Days and nights blended together, and she didn't care what time it was— _ever_. When she'd first started working for the cartel, Fahri and the other leaders liked partying with Alex—she was daring and fun. However, as the months progressed, Fahri warned her twice about her own excessive drug use. If he had to tell her a third time, he'd have to fire her.

She reached the Reina Victoria, the hotel name that she'd finally found buried in her e-mail. While she waited for an extra room key to be made (she'd misplaced the first one), Alex noticed that she had 38 new e-mails dating back two days. After a quick scroll, she gathered that most were from Fahri.

" _Fuck_ ," she mumbled.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" The hotel clerk asked with a thick, Spanish accent as she stared at the brunette with apparent repulsion.

"Oh, nothing." Alex caught her reflection in the mirror and almost didn't recognize herself.

"We would be happy to launder your clothing, Ms. Vause," the clerk offered. "Just put anything you'd like cleaned in this bag outside of your door, and it will be delivered 24-hours later."

The brunette accepted the cloth bag and met the woman's eyes for the first time—she was tall, thin and blonde. If Alex had still been high, she might've compared the woman to Piper, but she wouldn't allow herself to go there. Instead, she thanked the clerk, turned on her heel and proceeded to the elevator with her head bowed.

As she stepped into her hotel room, Alex choked on a sob when she got a better look at herself in the floor-to-ceiling mirror. She was completely disheveled, her eyes were bloodshot and her cheeks were sunken in. She couldn't recall the last time she'd showered and figured it must've been two days ago, since that was the last time she'd been coherent enough to check and respond to e-mails.

She balled her hands into fists and was ready to slam one against the mirror, but something stopped her. Instead, she grabbed a towel from the bathroom and covered the glass as best as she could so that she wouldn't have to see her reflection. She did the same with the mirror above the sink.

Alex turned on the shower as she stripped out of her clothing. She stepped under the warm spray and tears trickled down her face. She hadn't allowed herself to cry in months, so she let it out like a sick infant. Spit flew from her mouth and snot ran down her lips as she bawled under the hot water. She dissolved onto the tile floor, letting the droplets cover her like a salve. Alex stayed like that—knees pulled to her chest in a fetal position—until the water turned ice cold. She finally stood, wiped her cheeks, and turned off the water.

The brunette wrapped herself in a thick towel and climbed into bed, shutting out everything around her. _What if Piper saw me like this?_ Was the last thought she had before dozing off.

* * *

Piper didn't talk to Piero again, and the Italian and Pete had a bit of a falling out. She'd learned that Piero did indeed leave the country on December 8, and it was no loss to her. The guy was cute and charming, but he didn't hold a candle to Alex Vause.

That raw, physical encounter taught Piper a lesson she didn't think she ever needed to learn—she didn't want anyone else. Alex might not have had a clear career path, but she made Piper extraordinarily happy. They'd had intense debates about solar versus turbine power; Elvis versus Michael Jackson; Manhattan versus London; Edgar Allan Poe versus Stephen King. Everything they discussed made Piper's eyes light up, because her ex-girlfriend made her think deeply. Alex wasn't unlike her Smith professors who challenged Piper to think outside of the box, so in some ways, she was a mentor—not a label she would've ever assigned to the cigarette smoking brunette years ago.

In the middle of exam week, Piper became increasingly concerned about her menstrual cycle. She hadn't been regular her entire life, so being two weeks late was not unusual. Still, she decided to see a doctor to be sure. Polly went with her for moral support and had convinced her roommate that she would've experienced pains or morning sickness if she was indeed pregnant.

Piper wasn't very worried about it either, considering Piero had pulled out just after ejaculation, plus she was fairly confident he had on a condom. Besides, she'd read that it was difficult to conceive immediately after a woman's last period, and the blonde remembered finishing hers two days before she'd met the Italian.

"Would you like your friend in the room when I give you the results?" The doctor asked.

She looked at Polly and didn't hesitate. "Yes."

"Ok, I'll be back soon."

"About six months ago, I had a scare, too," Polly admitted as soon as the doctor closed the door. "I took a home pregnancy test, and it was positive."

She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "Why are you just telling me this now?"

Polly shrugged. "I didn't want to scare you. Anyway, I went to the clinic and they found out it was a false positive."

"That's a relief," Piper breathed.

They made small talk about going back to Greenwich for the holidays, but Polly's father was whisking her and his new girlfriend away to Grand Cayman.( Her parents had divorced the previous year, but Polly knew it was coming.) She was able to bring Pete on the island vacation, so she didn't care who was footing the bill as long as it wasn't her.

Piper tried to concentrate on their conversation, but with every minute that passed, she became increasingly nervous. Her hands started sweating and she could feel her pulse quicken. The blonde took a few breaths to try to calm down, but it didn't help.

"Hello, again, Ms. Chapman." The doctor walked in and sat on the swiveling stool. "I'm not sure if this is the news you were hoping for, but you are with child."

Piper could feel the blood rush out of her face. She became lightheaded and crashed down onto the medical table. She felt Polly poking at her, but she couldn't move; couldn't breathe. How was this possible? She had never had sex with a man until this one time.

The doctor waved a potent smelling oil under her nose, and she gasped for breath.

"It's ok; you're fine," the doctor said. She offered other words of assurance, but Piper only heard the phrase, _you're with child_ , and it was on replay in her mind.

She had no idea how long she laid on the bed, but when she was finally able to sit up, a nurse was next to her taking her vitals. The doctor joined them shortly after and talked to Piper about her options. She wanted the blonde to return in two days for some tests, but Piper was hoping that Polly was able to process everything and remind her about their discussion later. For her part, she couldn't concentrate on anything other than the question, _What will Alex think of me now?_

* * *

If Piper could've captured all of the tears she'd cried over the next week, she might've solved the world's water crisis. She was thankful to Polly for constantly supporting her and trying to cheer her up, but nothing would eradicate her from the funk she was in.

She'd done a ton of research online and had a long conversation with a school nurse about abortion, and Piper decided firmly against it. Polly begged her to reconsider, stating that having a child would likely ruin her life, at least for the immediate future, but the blonde stood her ground. She had no idea how she'd tell her father about her pregnancy, but she wouldn't have to worry about that until she began showing in a few months.

And then there was Alex. She considered writing to her ex-lover, begging her to call so that she could tell her voice-to-voice rather than in an impersonal e-mail. As Piper played out the different scenarios in her mind, she pictured two vastly different reactions from her former lover:

1\. She'd be even more _done_ with Piper than she currently was, which meant zero contact for the foreseeable future.

2\. She'd support Piper wholeheartedly and tell her that they could raise the child together.

Piper was no fool—she knew the second scenario was damn near impossible, so either she'd experience the first, or she simply wouldn't hear from Alex despite multiple attempts at trying to reach her. Even after all that time and with Alex successfully isolating herself from Piper, the blonde couldn't help but hope that the love of her life would return to the US and they could start fresh.

Piper had one more anthropology exam to take, and she didn't even know if she could do that—she was having immense trouble focusing on the material even while she was alone in the dorm room.

Her cell phone chirped, and she was sure it would be her father, asking if she was still planning to drive home the next day. "Hi, dad."

"Hello?" came a woman's voice. "Is this Piper?"

"Sorry, yes." She straightened her back. "Who's this?"

There was a long pause. "It's Janae Watson, Alex's roommate."

"Janae? Hi. Is everything ok?" She ran a hand through her hair.

"I don't know…I'm sorry for calling you, but I didn't know what else to do," she began. "I'll call Alex's mom if you think I should, but somebody's got to know about her."

 _Oh, God_. Piper stood, hand on her chest. "Where is she?"

"I haven't seen her in a month. Usually, she comes back home, like, every couple of weeks, but this time she's been gone too long," she sighed. "I'm worried."

"You did the right thing by calling me." Piper paced in the small room. "When did you last hear from her?"

"She mailed half of the rent check a couple days ago, and there was a note inside that apologized for being gone so long, but it was kind of cryptic." Janae paused, like she'd already said too much. "I'm pretty sure she got involved with a drug cartel; that shit messes a person up."

"A drug cartel? _Alex_?"

"She was using pretty hard last time she was here—mostly coke."

"What about the modeling contracts?" Piper shook her head as her pulse heightened. "I thought she still had a job with the Italian hand glove company?"

"Nah, that ended a year ago," Janae reported. "I figured she'd been lying to people back home. I should've called sooner."

Piper raised the screen on her laptop. "Is there any way you can make contact with her? Make up some kind of benign emergency just to know she's alive?" Saying those words made the blonde weak in the knees and she had to sit down.

"Yeah, I guess I could come up with something."

Hands shaking, she opened an airline site in a web browser. "If you can find out her location or when she plans to return to Milan, that would be super helpful." Piper tapped her fingers nervously against the keyboard. "If I have to come to Europe, I will."

"I never thought it would come to that, but I don't think it's a bad idea," she replied.

"As soon as you hear from her, Janae, call me."

"Alright. Bye."

Piper put her hands on the edge of her desk and hung her head as she breathed deeply. This was the last thing she needed to worry about, but if Alex was in trouble, there was no way in hell she'd let her rot on the streets of Europe.

* * *

By mid-December, Fahri had "released her from her duties," and Alex was officially an unemployed user. She had $400 to her name and had to try to get clean somehow. If she could make it a week without booze or drugs, she'd consider it a success.

Alex received an obscure message from Janae about a possible gas leak in their apartment complex, and there was a chance that they'd have to permanently vacate the premise within the week. Janae had asked her what she wanted her to do with her belongings, forcing Alex to make a choice—tell her roommate she didn't give a damn or make her way back to Milan to take responsibility.

A day later almost as if on autopilot, the brunette found herself on a train back to Milan, thankful for the cheap Eurail student pass. It was going to take her a couple of days to get home, but for the first time in a very long time, Alex felt good about her decision. She'd been sober for two days, and with every passing hour, Alex felt a little more in control of her life.

She hadn't been proud of the choices she'd made over the past year. Breaking up with Piper was right for one reason but wrong _for so fucking many more_. She didn't regret forcing the blonde to take a stand about their relationship, but there were other ways she could have gone about it. They were in love, for God's sake, and Alex threw it all away because of Piper's fear of coming out. Would it have been _that_ hard to wait another year to confess their love to Bill Chapman? Piper had promised that she'd tell her father about their relationship at the right time, and she'd given no indication to Alex that she'd default on that promise.

Alex closed her eyes as the train muscled through Grenoble, this time making a promise to herself—if she could stay clean through the Christmas holiday, she would reach out to her former lover. The least she could do was tell Piper she still cared.


	16. Chapter 16

To the 10 or so people still reading this story: thank you for trusting me enough to make the ride worth your while.

* * *

The day after talking to Janae on the phone, Piper found herself on a plane bound for Milan. She'd informed Diane that she was going to visit Alex, stating that she'd forgotten to tell her about the trip because she was so busy at school. Piper knew if she'd told the older Vause that her daughter might be in trouble, Diane would've hopped on the next flight to Italy. The blonde swore to herself that if she couldn't make progress in a few days, she'd send a plane ticket to Alex's mom herself.

There were too many thoughts crowding her mind to focus on a singular one. Would she inform Alex of her pregnancy? Would she beg Alex to come home? Would she yell at her ex-lover for dismissing her so thoughtlessly? Would the brunette even admit that her modeling career had ended long before her family knew about it?

Piper closed her eyes and tried to fall asleep on the plane as the mental image of Alex from their glory days entered her mind—ripped gray jeans, fitted leather jacket, Dr. Martens and long, shiny black hair cascading over her broad shoulders. That was the Alex she chose to remember; she had no idea who she'd find in Europe, or if she'd find anyone at all.

The plane landed and Piper remembered taking the bus to downtown Milan years ago with Alex. She followed the signage and had no problem getting to the heart of the Italian city with her small carry-on luggage.

Piper arrived at the steps of her ex-girlfriend's apartment with a heavy heart. The only other time she'd been there was magical, and she'd give anything to return to the way things were back then. After taking a few steadying breaths, she climbed the stairs to the second floor.

Janae greeted her with a hug. "Hey, sorry about all this."

"Any word from Alex?" Piper asked in lieu of 'hello.'

Janae gave her a comforting smile. "She's on her way here."

Piper raised her eyebrows, relief filling her chest like helium in a balloon. "How do you know?"

"She texted me a few hours ago." Janae showed her the text. "She'll probably arrive in a few hours—that is, if she comes here first. No telling where she'll go." Janae took Piper's suitcase. "Let me take that for you. Make yourself at home."

The two talked about what little they knew about Alex's life, and Piper sipped a glass of water slowly, hoping that the jetlag would hold off until Alex made it home. She'd had a few decent hours of sleep on the plane, so if the brunette made an appearance before 9 o'clock that night, Piper figured she'd be in good enough shape to have a difficult but necessary come-to-Jesus conversation.

"You want me to stay here with you?" Janae asked, refilling the blonde's glass.

Piper accepted the water. "Do you have some place to stay if you leave?"

"I have friends I could call right now—no big deal," she offered.

"Maybe that would be best," the blonde admitted. "If Alex doesn't come home tonight, of course, you should come back and we'll figure out a plan."

"Sounds good." Janae went into her room, and Piper threw her head back on the sofa, letting out a long, anxious sigh.

After Janae left the apartment, Piper went into Alex's bedroom and immediately felt a pang in her chest. The room was sparsely decorated: there were two generic art prints hanging on the walls, one of them crooked, and a Navy blue robe on a hook behind the door. Piper opened the closet to see a few pairs of jeans and t-shirts placed on wire hangers, and she removed one faded black shirt, bringing it to her nose and breathing in Alex's familiar scent. _It smelled like home_.

She noticed a shoebox on the desk and opened it without hesitation. Inside were all of the letters Piper had mailed and three photos of the blonde, now bent at the edges as if someone had clutched them on more than one occasion.

Piper sat on the double bed with a thud and paged through the letters, some of which were dated two years ago. While she couldn't confirm if Alex had read them, they were all still in their envelopes, each one was sliced open.

Piper awoke on the bed an hour later, holding one of Alex's pillows with one hand and one of her letters with the other. She sat up, glanced at her phone, and then walked into the living room with a slight headache. It was going on 8 p.m. and there was no sign of Alex. She'd made Janae promise to call or text if she'd heard anything about the brunette's estimated time of arrival, but Piper didn't hear from Janae that evening.

She decided to take a shower and change into something warmer as the temperature had dropped significantly that night. Piper went back into the brunette's room and grabbed her old NYC hoodie, pulling it over her head. Immediately, she felt closer to her former lover. She noticed Alex's original iPod with its cracked screen next to a small speaker and decided to turn it on. Maybe if she could hear the last song that Alex had listened to, she'd know what mood she'd been in before she disappeared. The blonde took the iPod & speaker into the living room and hit play, and Bono belted the lyrics from _One_.

 _Did I disappoint you?_

 _Or leave a bad taste in your mouth?_

 _You act like you never had love_

 _And you want me to go without._

She hit the back button to see what playlist the song was from and discovered a list called, "Anguish." Piper's hand flew to her chest as it physically upset her to know that Alex was hurting possibly as much as she was. Once again Piper thought of what she'd say upon seeing her ex-girlfriend, but she knew it was useless to plan that kind of greeting. Whatever would come out of her mouth would likely be truthful, and more than likely, painful.

* * *

Alex stumbled down the sidewalk leading to her apartment, exhausted from 48 hours of train travel and very little sleep. She hoped that Janae wasn't home so that she didn't have to hear her long string of questions, starting with, " _Where the fuck have you been_?" Alex had only sent half a month's rent and had no idea how she'd come up with the other half, but that night, she didn't want to deal with questions that required fessing up to the fucked up choices she'd made.

She lugged her suitcase up the flight of stairs to her apartment and heard music coming from inside. She put her ear against the paper-thin door. There was a familiar song playing, but she couldn't place it at first. Alex positioned her ear further to the right and realized that was _her_ music—the only genres that Janae listened to were jazz and hip hop. This was some kind of indie rock.

Alex was grateful that she hadn't lost her keys on her drugged-out trek across Spain. She shoved the silver key into the lock, turned the knob and opened the door.

There in her apartment no more than ten feet away stood Piper Chapman.

She shook her head as if she was hallucinating. " _Piper_? Wha…" she choked on the one syllable word.

 _I told you the words and then knew it was a lie_

 _I wish I could offer an appeal_

 _You're wrong_

 _I don't belong to you_

As the crescendo of the song blasting through the mini-speaker built, Piper moved towards her, each step quicker than the previous. " _Alex,_ " she breathed before wrapping her arms around the brunette and burying her face in the crook of her neck.

The drums beat in rapid succession and the violins hummed faster as Alex threw her arms around the woman in front of her. One hand rested on the back of the blonde's head as Alex smashed Piper's face against her neck.

 _What I'd give for that first night when you were mine_

 _Tried with all that I have to keep you alive_

 _I wasn't taught this way, with a thousand things to say_

 _I was born with a broken heart_

Alex felt like she was dreaming the scene playing out in her living room— _this was impossible_. There was no way Piper was in her apartment in Milan—she figured it must have been a tantalizing high she was on in some foreign country. She squeezed her eyes shut as a hundred images of her and Piper from long ago scrolled through her mind. It was like stories she'd read about when someone dies, their life flashes before their eyes in a string of animated memories. For a moment, Alex wondered if she was actually dead—it wouldn't be that far-fetched.

She opened her eyes and blinked rapidly. They pulled back at the same time, each grabbing the other's face, palms splayed on cheeks. Piper looked at Alex's lips, and the brunette did the same. In an instant their mouths crashed together, pressing so hard it hurt.

Piper angled her head, making it easier for Alex to kiss her properly. After several seconds, the brunette pulled back, a little out of breath. She ran her hands down the sides of Piper's head. "I can't believe this…What are you doing here?"

Piper's hands journeyed reassuringly down her arms, resting on the crook of her elbows. "I heard you might've needed me."

" _God_." Alex's eyes welled with tears as she grabbed the woman in front of her again, yanking her into another tight embrace. " _You have no idea_ ," she said in a thick, wet voice.

Piper was the one who pulled back this time, looking at Alex's face as if she was reading a map. "I'm here." She wiped tears off the brunette's cheeks, paying no mind to her own that were cascading down her face.

Nothing in the world mattered at that moment—a bomb could've gone off or there could've been a 10.0 magnitude earthquake—nothing could have kept her from holding on to Piper as if her life depended on it; and in many ways, _it did_. They could've stood in each other's arms for a minute or an hour—Alex had no concept of time.

Finally, Piper took her hand and pulled her to the sofa. "Do you want something to drink?"

"This is my place, shouldn't I be the one offering you something?" Alex asked somewhat embarrassingly.

"It's ok. I've been here for a few hours." She went into the kitchen and pulled two bottles from the refrigerator "Water or beer?"

"Definitely not beer." The brunette removed her glasses to dab the tears hanging on her eyelashes. "Not for a while, anyway."

Piper walked back over to the sofa and handed her the water. "Have you been drinking?"

Alex let out a thin, incredulous laugh—as if any response she'd give would sound outlandish. "Not today, but recently, yes." She sniffed and her head wobbled. "I don't even know where to start." She placed her eyeglasses back on. "This is still so surreal. I feel like I'm going to wake up, and you'll be gone."

Piper grabbed her hand, looked her in the eyes and said very slowly, "I'm not leaving without you."

The brunette had to look away, feeling like she didn't deserve Piper's visit to essentially save her. Another set of tears rolled down her face and she felt her chin wrinkle. She was _this_ close to a full-on meltdown. "How are you even here?"

"Janae called," Piper admitted, handing Alex a Kleenex. "She was worried sick about you."

Alex huffed, feeling the wet saline in her mouth. She knew her roommate would've been torn about whether or not to contact Piper. If Janae hadn't, Alex had no idea what she would've done upon arriving back in Milan.

Piper looked at her lap, seemingly trying to hide the tears in her own eyes. One dripped onto her leg, and it wasn't lost on Alex. "I called our parents and told them I was coming."

"My mom must've had a field day with that," she tried for a laugh, but it came out more like a wet gasp. The brunette used the pad of her thumb to wipe a dangling drop from Piper's chin.

"She doesn't know about Janae's call." The blonde leaned forward slightly as if Alex's simple touch wasn't enough. "I'm sure your mom knows something up, but I didn't want to alarm her before I knew exactly what I was dealing with."

Alex looked at the ceiling, trying to keep the rest of her tears from slipping out of their lids. "There's so much I have to tell you."

"You don't have to say anything right now." Piper picked up her hand and caressed her knuckles. "We can go to sleep and talk about it in the morning."

The brunette nodded, trying to keep the words that were biting at her lips from pouring out. It was no use—her brain wasn't cooperating with her vocal chords. "Please, don't leave me."

"I'm not going anywhere, Alex." She put her hand behind Alex's neck, and the brunette saw a confidence she'd never witnessed before in Piper's eyes. "Not without you."

They stood at the same time, and Piper turned off the iPod before following Alex to the bedroom.

* * *

Alex was _broken_ —there was no other word to describe her. She'd lost at least 20 pounds, had bags under her eyes, and her cheeks were sunken in as if she hadn't eaten a balanced meal in weeks. There was something skittish about her like a frightened, malnourished kitten, but the light in her eyes wasn't completely diminished. Even for a split second, Piper saw life in them, and that's all she needed. The fact that Alex was _alive_ was all that mattered.

Piper unzipped her bag and pulled out a pair of snowflake pajama pants. "I hope you don't mind; I borrowed your sweatshirt."

"I see that." Alex issued a tiny smile. "And, no, I don't mind."

The blonde retreated to the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth. It had been a long 24 hours, but she was immensely happy to just be in the same room with Alex.

As she finished gargling, Piper wiped her mouth and saw Alex's reflection in the mirror. The brunette gave her an almost imperceptible smile, and then wrapped her arms around her from behind. Piper stared at both of them in the glass, remembering a time when they were both so young and vibrant. Now they were only shadows of their former selves.

"Take your time," the blonde said, squeezing Alex's hands and letting go. She padded back to the bedroom, quickly shooting a text to Janae. Alex walked in, and Piper swiveled her neck but didn't quite look at her.

She'd put on blue, plaid pajama pants and a white t-shirt. "Text my mom if you want—let her know everything's alright."

Piper had every intention of making this easy for Alex that night; the next day was another story. "Ok."

Alex crawled into bed and sighed. She flung one arm over her eyes. "I forgot what it feels like to go to bed sober."

Piper glanced at her, but didn't say anything. She sent a text message to her father and Diane, promising that they'd call the next day. She was confident Diane would appreciate the quick communication. She leaned over and turned off the lamp on the bedside table. "Good night, Alex."

The brunette reached around Piper's waist and pulled her closer, making them the perfect spoons. "Thank you for being here…" she paused. " _Babe_."

Piper squeezed her forearm and then closed her eyes, basking in Alex's embrace (and the fact that she'd called her _babe_.) The way they held each other that night was like two people floating on a small raft in the middle of the ocean—there was no way either woman would let go. Piper tried to categorize every touch on her skin, knowing that after they both aired everything out, that might very well have been the last time they held each other so close.

* * *

If you're so inclined, listen to the song "Belong" by Cary Brothers so you can feel what I felt while writing the reunion scene. There are moments in some of my stories when I can so clearly picture the scene I've written, and when I listen to "Belong," I can picture Piper and Alex seeing each other for the first time in months and not being able to stop themselves from hugging and kissing despite being officially broken up.


	17. Chapter 17

Piper woke up the next morning, and Alex was still sound asleep. She shifted as quietly as she could to stare at the woman next to her. There was more color in her cheeks that morning, but they were still hollow. The blonde wondered how deep her ex-girlfriend had sunk into the drug world and how committed she'd be to getting out of it. Rather than worry about the details of the last seven months in that moment, she closed her eyes and said a silent prayer, thanking God that Alex was alive. Piper chanced a kiss on the inside of Alex's wrist before slowly getting out of bed.

She shuffled into the kitchen and noticed an odd-looking coffeemaker, so she searched for grounds in the cupboards and milk or cream in the refrigerator.

"No!" She heard from the bedroom. "No, stop! Piper!"

The blonde rushed into the other room, kneeling next to the bed and reaching for Alex. "Shh, it's ok. You're having a bad dream."

Alex's eyes shot open and she grabbed Piper's wrists as if she was an intruder. It seemed to take the brunette a few seconds to realize where she was and who she was holding. Alex sat up, throwing her arms around Piper's shoulders and breathing heavily. "You're here."

"I'm here," she assured her.

Piper felt her nod against her neck. "You want to try to go back to sleep?"

"No." She pulled back to look at the blonde. "I'm awake."

Piper thought some levity might serve both of them well. "Good. Maybe you can show me how your foreign coffeemaker works."

Alex gave her what she assumed was the best smile she could muster.

They made coffee together, and Piper found some frozen berries in the freezer. She didn't ask Alex if she wanted a smoothie for fear that she would decline the offer, so she pulled out the blender she'd discovered the night before, poured some orange juice in it with the frozen fruit, two tablespoons of peanut butter, and a half-rotten banana. "Drink this."

The brunette held the glass to the light. "What the fuck is it?"

"Fruit smoothie—it's good for you." She rinsed out the blender, and then sat on the sofa with her cup of coffee. "It's cold in here."

Alex took a sip of the concoction, and then grabbed a blanket from the closet before joining her on the couch.

"When was the last time you ate something good for you?" The blonde pulled the shared blanket higher and buried her toes under Alex's thigh.

"I honestly have no idea." Alex ran a hand through her messy hair. "Maybe a few nights ago in Barcelona?"

She took a sip of coffee. "What were you doing in Spain?"

Alex swallowed the smoothie. "You sure you're up for this?"

Piper nodded. "I want to know everything, even if you think I'm not going to like it."

"You're not going to like any of it," she replied in a definitive voice with raised brows. She took a deep breath, seemingly steeling herself for a mighty confession. "Two days after I got back from our parents' wedding, Elite fired me. They handed me my final paycheck and showed me the door. That meant that my two miniscule contracts were null & void, and I had no job prospects."

"Why didn't you just come back home?" Piper asked with sincerity.

"With my tail between my legs?" she laughed haughtily. "I wasn't about to go back as a failure. I'd lost you, plus I didn't go to college and was a shitty high school student. The one break I finally got was supposed to be my big ticket—to prove to my mom, and to _you_ , that I made something out of my life."

Piper put a hand on her blanketed knee. "You don't have to prove anything to either of us."

"Then to myself." She shrugged. "I refused to crawl back home without a job or a story."

The blonde set her coffee mug down as she listened.

"One of the photographers I worked with was heavy into the drug scene. We smoked out occasionally, and he hooked me up with his dealer. I sold dime bags for a couple of months, but I made more money at Salvatore's, parking cars." She adjusted on the sofa, putting some distance between her and Piper. "Somehow, I got introduced to the people in charge of this one cartel, and they started giving me little assignments here and there and paid me a shitload of money for stuff I could've done in my sleep."

Her brows lifted impossibly high. "You worked for a drug cartel?"

Alex scratched her head. "Yeah, until I partied too hard and cost them almost as much as they paid me." When Piper didn't say anything, Alex continued. "For the past six months, I've been using pretty heavily. I think I've tried everything except meth."

" _Alex_ ," she breathed. _No wonder she looked so dreadful_.

"It got to a point where I didn't know what day it was. Fuck, I didn't even know what _month_ it was. Daytime or nighttime didn't matter—all I cared about was my next high so the pain would go away."

"What pain?"

Alex picked at a piece of lint on the blanket, and Piper could almost see the wheels turning in her head. "The pain of losing you," she said reticently.

"It was _your_ decision to breakup with me, Alex. I didn't want that." Piper angled her body towards her companion. "You didn't give me a choice."

She lowered her head. "I'm pretty much the master of handling things completely wrong."

"You pushed me away, making me believe you didn't care," Piper explained with a furrowed brow.

"I _always_ cared, Piper."

"You sure as hell didn't show it!" She raised her voice. "I texted, called, e-mailed, wrote letters—you didn't reply to _anything_ over the past six months. How in the hell was I supposed to know that?"

Again, Alex bowed her head and took a deep breath. "I never deserved to be with you."

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

"You're larger than life!" Alex answered in a brash voice. "Everything you touch turns to gold. How was I supposed to keep you interested in me—a fucking washed up kid with nothing more than a high school diploma and two years' worth of third-rate modeling?"

"What you did for a living had nothing to do with how I felt about you!" She shook her head. "I _loved_ you, Alex!"

"Past tense," she noted. "As it should be."

Piper lowered her head and huffed as if this was an argument she knew she couldn't win.

The brunette set her empty glass on the coffee table. "Why are you here?"

She looked directly into Alex's eyes. "I didn't want you to be rotting in a fucking gutter where no one would ever find you because of your foolish pride."

Alex lifted and lowered her eyebrows quickly before looking away. Piper could tell her words stung.

She switched back to the broader topic. "What happened with the cartel? Are you still dealing?"

" _They_ fired me, too," she said with self-deprecation.

It was difficult for Piper to see her former lover in this state. Alex had been the epitome of confidence once upon a time, so to see her this helpless was disheartening.

"Good," the blonde responded.

Alex shot her a look.

"You're coming back to Connecticut with me," Piper stated firmly. "If I have to sedate you, I will, but you're not staying here."

"I have rent due and bills to pay, Piper," she said with a chuckle as if there was no way the blonde could comprehend her level of responsibility. "I can't just pick up and leave."

"You can." She punctuated her statement with her eyebrows. "I'll take care of the financial stuff. I'm not leaving without you."

"So what? Am I supposed to thank my lucky stars that Ms. Moneybags saved me? Fuck that." Alex stood. "I can make it on my own."

"I know you can," she replied with conviction. "But for the hundredth fucking time, you're coming home with me. That's non-negotiable."

Alex pursed her lips, seemingly trying to hide a grin. "I forgot how hot you are when you get all bossy and possessive."

Piper's hard exterior dropped for a matter of seconds, but she quickly recovered. "There's a lot I need to tell you, too, Alex. One thing in particular that you aren't going to like."

"It can't be any worse that what I've told you," she said, filling a mug with coffee.

"We'll talk about me later. I want to focus on you for now."

They spent the next two hours talking about what Alex's life had been like for the past seven months, and Piper had a hard time stomaching the choices her former lover made. Here was this gorgeous, smart, savvy woman who had the opportunity of a lifetime, and she'd squandered it. Alex had known that she wouldn't be a model for long—that kind of career had a finite lifespan, yet she let it expire without a plan. That, the blonde thought, was Alex's Achilles Heel: she enjoyed free falling through life. Piper couldn't comprehend such an attitude and hoped that the brunette's recent mistakes would serve as a major life lesson.

The only thing Piper held onto as Alex talked about her wretched life was that everything the brunette said came with regret. She owned up to the poor choices she'd made and felt embarrassed by them.

 _Good_ , Piper thought. _You should be_.

* * *

Alex hadn't intended to talk for as long as she did about her life in Europe, nor had she anticipated telling Piper every last detail. The blonde had a way of extracting information from her like no other. After two hours, Alex felt like her soul had been somewhat cleansed, and for the first time in ages, she felt _relieved_.

"Was that your stomach growling?" she asked.

"Yeah." Piper put her hand on her belly. "Guess I'm hungry."

"Let's get you fed." Alex stood and held out her hand. "I need a break from all of this honesty bullshit anyway."

The blonde offered a warm smile.

They got dressed in silence, Piper taking her clothes into the bathroom to change and Alex closing her bedroom door so that she could slip into jeans and a sweater. Sex was the furthest thing from the brunette's mind—she felt raw and exposed, hardly an attractive combination.

At breakfast, she asked Piper a few questions about her internship at _Time_ , and the blonde informed her that she was offered a full-time job at the publishing company upon graduation. (She vaguely remembered reading a letter from Piper about this, but she was probably drunk or high at the time.) Alex smiled as best she could at the news and was genuinely happy for her ex-girlfriend.

Piper's face lit up when she talked about her academic life that semester, and Alex basked in the blonde's positive energy. She recalled in an instant why she fell in love with Piper and knew that it wouldn't take much to rekindle those feelings. Trouble was, she didn't think she was worthy of Piper's love.

As they continued talking about college, Alex made a mental note that Piper skipped over the first semester of senior year and didn't want to talk at all about her social life. In fact, the blonde's eyes clouded over when Alex asked if she'd made any new friends at Smith.

"You must have more friends than just Polly." Alex drained her glass of orange juice.

Piper left two $20 bills on the table, not caring that she was overpaying for the meal since she didn't have any Euros. "I have a number of friends at school."

Alex put her napkin on the table. "Do you want to tell me about them?"

"Not really." She looked down and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah." The brunette pushed her chair in, and they walked outside. She didn't want to force the issue, but she'd press a little harder when she felt more up to it. They walked passed a storefront with a miniature North Pole village in the display window complete with a sleigh, reindeer and Santa Claus. "I forgot that it's almost Christmas."

Piper glanced up at her. "I want to be home before Christmas day."

She shoved her hands in her coat pockets. "You should be."

"You seem to be forgetting that you're coming with me."

"I never agreed to that," Alex whispered.

"Like I said, you don't have a choice," Piper responded with a solemn expression.

The brunette decided not to argue. She was convinced that if Piper put her mind to something, there was nothing anyone could do to stop her. Alex was scared of going back to Connecticut; she felt like a loser and didn't want to face the pitied looks that her family would surely give her. Nicky, on the other hand, would be grateful that she was home. As far as Alex knew, she hadn't done shit with her life, so in a sense, it would be like old times.

They arrived back at Alex's apartment, and Piper told her that she should reach out to Janae. The blonde gave her a moment to make the call while she talked to Diane on the phone. Alex had told her she wasn't ready to talk to her mom—she didn't want to answer a string of questions on the heels of having bared her soul to Piper. The blonde agreed to that, but told Alex that she'd have to answer some hard questions from the people who loved her at some point in the near future.

After both women made their calls, Alex sat on the sofa next to Piper. "I'm sure you're not done interrogating me."

The blonde dove right in. "Why didn't you respond to my calls or texts?"

"I wanted you to get over me." She shrugged. "I also didn't want you to see me like this."

"Alex, we were _in_ _love_ ," Piper stated with hurt in her voice.

She nudged her glasses higher on her nose. "You didn't want to come clean with your dad, and that fucking stung."

"Why was that so important?"

"It proved the point that I've been trying to make all along—I'm not on your level, Piper; I'm not good enough for you," she admitted with a slightly raised voice.

"My decision not to tell my father about us had nothing to do with you," she explained. "It was about finishing college on _his_ dime. I knew how he felt—how he feels—about homosexuality, and if I would've come out to him back then, I'm telling you, Alex, he would've cut me off."

"And I struggle with that," she said a bit louder. "You chose to give up the woman you loved so that you could keep daddy happy."

Piper stood and held out her hands. "I'm not like you—I can't fathom going through life without a plan."

"What message do you think that sent me?" She lifted her eyebrows. "That my way of living is inferior to yours."

"That's not what I was insinuating." The blonde clenched her jaw. "I'm saying that in order for me to have the kind of life that I want, I needed to play by the rules a little longer. It had nothing to do with the way you chose to live your life."

"Everything you're saying is past tense." Alex folded her arms. "Hypothetically, if we got back together now, would you tell your dad?"

Piper appeared deep in thought, and Alex wondered if she was thinking about something more profound than her simple question.

" _Yes_ ," she whispered after a minute of silence.

A tiny smile registered on Alex's face and her heart fluttered, but she dared not give it away. "Good to know."

"When we broke up, you said it didn't mean that you didn't love me," Piper said barely above a whisper. "Did you ever stop?"

Alex needed to be as honest with herself as she was with Piper. "No."

Piper blushed as a shy smile surfaced, and the brunette thought it was the most beautiful sight she'd seen all year.

"Did you stop loving _me_?" Alex felt incredibly vulnerable for having to ask that question, but she'd already shined a microscope on her life, why not put her heart under it, too?

"I flew 3,000 miles to see you with less than 48 hours' notice." The blonde walked back to the sofa and stood between Alex's legs, looking down at her. "I'd made my decision to come here the _second_ Janae called, and there was no way anyone could've stopped me."

Alex swallowed hard and looked up.

"I made a life-changing mistake while you were gone, Alex, but I never stopped loving you." Piper grabbed her hands and threaded their fingers together. "Not for a second."

The brunette tugged her hands until Piper bent at the waist. The blonde let go and braced herself on the cushions on either side of Alex's face. Piper closed the gap between them, gently kissing her ex-lover on the mouth. There was no urgency in the kiss—it was like a long, warm summer day, and Alex closed her eyes, memorizing the way it felt.

The blonde pulled back, resting her forehead against Alex's.

"Tell me about this 'life-changing' mistake," the brunette whispered.

Piper straightened and sighed loudly as she looked away. She blinked rapidly, trying to hide the tears welling in her eyes, and Alex knew it was something bad.

"I don't know how to tell you," her mood shifted and her voice trembled.

Alex tried to lighten the severity of the blonde's pending confession. "Do you think it was easy for me to tell you every fucking detail of my remarkably poor decisions?"

Piper didn't smile; she faced the window and put her hands on her hips. Alex could see her chest moving in and out as she presumably tried to control her breathing.

"Whatever it is, Piper, you can tell me."

The blonde continued staring out of the window. "After we broke up, I was a train wreck—I didn't eat, couldn't sleep, and I hardly went to class for a month. My grades suffered, and I ended my second semester junior year with a B and two Cs. I know for most people, that's not a big deal, but it was for me." Piper glanced at her hands, which were twisting in front of her. "If I would've applied for the internship at _Time_ after my grades were in, I wouldn't have gotten it."

Alex felt horrible that she had a direct effect on Piper's academic success. "Sorry to hear that."

Ignoring her apology, the blonde continued. "Even after the semester ended, and I went home for summer, I stayed in bed for like a week. When my internship started, my dad had to physically get me out of bed the first few days. He asked what was wrong, but I never told him the truth." Piper folded her arms around her upper body almost as if giving herself a hug. "Your mom was worried about me, too, and we had a talk. To this day, I think she knew we were more than friends."

Her brows shot up. "My mom?"

The blonde twisted her head and glanced at Alex. "Yeah."

"I never told her anything about us, but it wouldn't surprise me if she knew," the brunette admitted. "She's always been freakishly perceptive."

"If it wasn't for my internship, I don't know how I would've survived that summer," Piper confessed. "Polly was the only friend I talked to about us, and she was tired of hearing me whine about our breakup." She stared at the snow flurries outside. "By the middle of July, I threw myself into the internship and sometimes worked 40 hours a week when I was only supposed to work 20."

"Sounds like it paid off though," the brunette commented.

She didn't turn around. "It did." Piper moved closer to the window, putting her hand flat against the glass. "I went back to Smith in August with a relatively new lease on life. You hadn't returned any of my e-mails or texts, so I figured you'd moved on and expected me to do the same."

Alex closed her eyes, remembering the painful time in both of their lives. Hell, it was _still_ fresh like an open wound. One day of talking about it wasn't going to change anything or even make things that much better—both women were a _long_ way from healed.

"Pete had been trying to set me up with a guy he played soccer with—an exchange student from Bologna—and I'd resisted at first because I was still so hung up on you, but since he was from Italy, I figured I could at least talk to him about where you lived—maybe that would make me feel closer to you." She backed away from the window and began pacing in the small living room. "We hung out with Pete and Polly, and we all got pretty drunk. One thing led to another."

"You slept with him?" It ripped Alex's heart apart even though she knew it shouldn't have mattered. She was the one who'd broken up with Piper and had given her every indication to move on with her life.

"Yes." Piper's chin quivered, and she steadied herself against a kitchen stool as if without that support, she would have dissolved to the ground. "I was _so_ drunk, and all I could think about was you." Tears rushed down her cheeks as she continued. "I remember touching his nipples and thinking of yours. When he…he penetrated me, I wondered what it would be like to use a sex toy with you." She sniffed.

Alex tightened her jaw and balled her hands into fists, trying to remain silent and calm but inwardly shrieking at someone else touching Piper.

"He asked if I was ok, and I couldn't even respond—all I could see was your face." A sob escaped, and Alex jumped up to comfort her.

She put her hands on Piper's shoulders and was ready to turn her around so that she could hug her, but the blonde shrugged her hands away.

"Let me finish," Piper demanded, wiping her nose with the back of her hand. "When I realized that he was cumming, I pushed him off of me. I ran into the bathroom and vomited my guts out." Another stream of tears rolled down her face. "I couldn't believe how _stupid_ I was. I took a shower and scrubbed his scent off of my body until I scratched myself and my arms bled."

" _Piper_ ," she whispered. It killed Alex to not be able to hold her when she was in this much agony. "At any point, did you tell him to stop?"

She swatted at another tear on her cheek. "He didn't rape me if that's what you're getting at." Piper faced the brunette, finally looking into her eyes. "That's not even the worst of it."

Again, she balled her fingers into fists, ready to punch the wall. "I'm barely keeping it together here, Piper, so please tell me what in the hell happened to you."

"Alex…" Tears flowed from Piper's eyes like a faucet, and it was hard for the brunette to even see the blue pigment. "I… _I'm pregnant_."

Her mouth hung open as she blinked slowly at the realization. Of all the things Alex expected to hear, that was not one of them. Piper had always done the right thing and held herself to a moral standard that most young adults would've scoffed at. She was saintly compared to Alex, and now she was _pregnant_?

She must've heard wrong. "I'm sorry, what?"

"I'm pregnant." Piper bent over, like her body couldn't carry the weight of the confession. She was bawling like a child who'd fallen off the jungle gym and had broken a limb.

" _Oh, babe_." Alex couldn't stand it any longer. She grabbed the woman in front of her and embraced her. "I'm so, _so_ sorry."

The blonde cried against Alex's shoulder and might've even bitten it at one point as her mouth was open, releasing raw, animalistic sounds.

"Shh, it'll be ok." Alex tried soothing her by rubbing her back and gently swaying.

After a few minutes, Piper finally spoke. "Are you mad at me?"

The brunette put her hands on Piper's tear-stained, reddened cheeks. "Why would I be mad at you? _I'm_ the one who pushed you away. This is all my fault."

"It's not your fault, Alex." She sniffed. "You're not the one who's having a baby."

"Still." She shrugged. "If I wouldn't have broken up with you, we wouldn't be in this position."

Piper suddenly became very still as she stared into the brunette's eyes. " _We_?"

Alex raised her brows, feeling the sting of tears prickling her own eyes. She ran a hand down the back of Piper's head. "Do you really think I'm going to let you go through this alone?"

Another round of tears sprung from Piper's eyes as she pulled the brunette towards her. Alex could feel the fistful of sweatshirt that the blonde had grasped, and it was clear that Piper was afraid of letting go. Somehow, Alex managed to walk them towards the sofa, and Piper collapsed onto the other woman in a heap of weak limbs.

Alex kissed her forehead. "Who knows about your pregnancy?"

"Polly and now probably Pete," she replied, sniffling a nose full of mucus.

Alex reached for a Kleenex. "What about the guy?"

"No." She felt Piper shake her head against her chest. "I wouldn't even know how to contact him. I don't want to ever see him again."

"Ok." She rubbed the blonde's back, and they sat there for possibly another 30 minutes, mostly in silence.

Piper finally pushed herself off of Alex's chest, strands of hair glued to her face by tears. "I don't know how I'm going to tell my father."

The clarity of what Alex wanted in that moment was the most staggering feeling she'd had in possibly a year. "Let me help."

"How?" She'd stopped crying and wiped her tender cheeks with another tissue.

Alex rubbed Piper's thigh. "We can talk about it on the plane tomorrow."

The hope in Piper's eyes was like a child running to see what Santa had left under the tree on Christmas morning. "You'll come home with me?"

The brunette grinned. "I thought I didn't have a choice?"

"You don't." Piper leaned forward, hugging Alex again. She pulled back and smiled as best as she could. "But I was certain I would've had to kidnap you."

Alex let out a soft chuckle, but then quickly sobered. She splayed her hands across Piper's jawline. "Wherever you are is where I want to be."

Piper's chin quivered as if another set of tears was about to rumble down her face, but Alex kissed her on the lips in hopes of preventing the sob from surfacing. The blonde was the one who deepened the kiss, running her tongue inside the other woman's mouth.

 _It felt like coming home._

* * *

This was one of my favorite chapters to write. I hope it met your expectations!


	18. Chapter 18

The night before they flew back to the United States, Piper and Alex shared a bed again as part of an unspoken agreement to comfort each other. The brunette had a fitful night of sleep, tossing and turning into the wee hours of the morning. Piper wrapped her arms around her ex-girlfriend, whispering words of assurance and worrying about Alex's mental state even while she slept. At one point, Piper stumbled into the bathroom to wet a rag with cool water. She dabbed it against Alex's sweaty hairline until she fell asleep again. During her bouts of half-wakefulness, Alex didn't say a word; she just groaned as if she was terribly uncomfortable. In a million years, Piper never thought she'd have to soothe Alex—she was usually strong and independent, not vulnerable and frightened.

On the plane ride the following day, they scored an exit row, and at 5'8", Piper was happy for the extra legroom. Alex pulled out her iPod and unraveled the headphones, inserting one bud into her right ear. Piper wanted to be as in sync with the brunette as possible, so she looked up at her companion with inquiring eyes. Alex grinned, handing her one of the buds. The blonde shoved it into her ear with a smile and then commandeered the iPod, scrolling for a Christmas playlist.

The night before, they'd fallen asleep to Christmas music upon Alex's insistence, (she knew Piper loved Christmas songs) and the first hour of their journey home was no different. Alex didn't have a ton of holiday music, so they listened to _Christmas For the 90s Volumes 1 & 2,_ before Piper unplugged Alex's device in favor of her own, which had everything from Bing Crosby to Mariah Carey. They held hands during the flight, occasionally stealing glances, each worried about the other's fragility.

They hadn't defined anything about their relationship the night before; that conversation could wait if it needed to happen at all. What they knew—what they understood without having to verbalize it—was that they shared a deep, abiding, unbreakable connection. They loved each other; that much was certain. Where they ultimately ended up, though, was anyone's guess.

Alex was the more _broken_ of the two, but if she remained on the straight and narrow, she'd eventually heal. Her poor choices were demons she'd have to live with, but they'd likely only surface on occasion. Her physical health needed to improve after she'd starved her body of anything good, but there was an easy solution to that. Piper knew that if Alex lived at home for even a month, Diane's cooking would help restore her health.

Piper was the more _damaged_ of the two, but unlike Alex, she'd have a lifelong, permanent memory of her mistake since she'd chosen to keep the baby. That was the other thing they hadn't discussed, and the blonde didn't know if Alex would feel comfortable weighing in on the possibility of terminating the pregnancy. The thought of raising a child whose father she'd known for less than 24 hours was not a welcome one, but it was far more appealing than ending a life that hadn't even had the chance to start.

When they were close to touching down at LaGuardia, Alex eyed her restless companion. "How are you feeling?"

She pulled the earbud out. "Ok. You?"

Alex squeezed her hand. "A little nervous."

"That's probably the understatement of the year." Piper looked at their joined hands. "I know we haven't talked about us…about our relationship."

The brunette tossed her hair over one shoulder with the flick of her neck. "No, we haven't."

"I don't know if we're ready yet," she admitted.

"Are you bringing this up because of the baby?"

She glanced down again, humiliated by her situation.

"Piper, when I said I'd help you, that didn't mean I wanted to tell your father about us." She licked her lips. "I mean, if we're going to be a couple again, he absolutely needs to know, but I agree that we probably aren't in a position to make a commitment after so much has happened."

She let go of Alex's hand and didn't reply for several seconds. Piper was the one who'd said they weren't ready to define who they were to each other, yet she ached at hearing Alex's statement. She wanted the brunette to prove her wrong—to say that they were inevitable—only life's lessons separated them, and they were ready to move forward: _together_.

Instead, Piper settled for, "I don't want to listen to Christmas music anymore."

Alex gave her a contorted look that ended with a slight grin. She scrolled through her iPod and hit play. Piper listened to the beginning of a song that sounded like crumbled paper or a burning fire. It took her a second to place it, but she remembered that Alex used to play it when she got ready for school during her senior year—Piper had never listened to the words, they were just muddled lyrics playing in the background as she'd curled her hair & put on makeup, while Alex had thrown on whatever clothes were clean.

 _And promise me this_

 _You'll wait for me only_

 _Scared of the lonely arms_

 _Surface, far below these burn_

 _And maybe, just maybe I'll come home_

Alex took her hand again, tangling their fingers and bringing them to her chest. She pressed Piper's hand against her heart, covering their joined hands with her free one. A smile slowly spread across her face as she leaned back and closed her eyes. Piper watched her former lover take a deep breath, and in that moment, she looked content.

Just like the song said, maybe— _just maybe_ —they'd come home; not to a physical place, but to one rooted in love, passion, sincerity and happiness.

* * *

Piper had parked her car at the airport, so they weren't dependent upon anyone picking them up. Both women were emotionally and physically exhausted, but Alex offered to drive. Piper took her up on the offer if for no other reason than it gave the brunette some sort of control. She wondered when was the last time Alex felt in control of her life, but she didn't voice her curiosity.

They were silent most of the way back to Greenwich, and Piper didn't know who would be home at that hour. She hoped for Alex's sake that her mom was there, but she didn't want her father to be home yet. The blonde had far too much to consider before talking to him about her pregnancy; besides, she needed to ensure that he welcomed Alex into their house, considering the last time she was home, Alex had announced that she was gay.

The brunette made the final turn into their neighborhood. "What if your dad kicks me out?"

Piper swallowed hard. "I don't think he'd go that far."

She gripped the steering wheel. "You're the one who said he doesn't tolerate gay people."

"He loves your mom too much to not let you stay there—at least for the short term." She looked down. "Believe it or not, he's been concerned about you, too."

"Great," she rolled her eyes. "It's going to be a pity party as soon as I step in the door."

Piper put her hand on Alex's leg. "Maybe for the first few minutes, but I highly doubt your mom is going to focus on pitying you. She'll want to make you better."

The brunette parked the BMW on the driveway and turned off the engine. "What about _your_ situation?"

Piper looked at her belly. "I'm not ready for that discussion yet. Let's just celebrate that you're back in one piece."

Alex leaned over and kissed the blonde on the temple and then smoothed her hand down Piper's head. "Whenever you're ready."

Piper wondered if she was referring to stepping out of the car and into the house or telling her family everything that had transpired in Europe.

* * *

Alex didn't see her mom's old Buick on the street and wondered if she hadn't gotten home from work yet (or if she'd gotten rid of the vehicle altogether.) The brunette popped the trunk and strapped one bag across her chest and hoisted a large suitcase out of the trunk. "Want me to carry your bag?"

Piper shook her head. "Mine is small; I got it."

Alex's heart thumped as she wiped her feet on the _Welcome to the Chapman Home_ doormat before stepping inside. The house smelled familiar—like pastries and Douglas fir. It immediately brought back memories of their last Christmas together. Although it had been sad to tell Piper goodbye last year, they were in a committed relationship. Back then, Alex could see a future with Piper, and she wondered if she'd been blinded by love.

"Hello?" The blonde stepped inside. "Anybody home?"

"Piper?" Came a voice from a distance. "Is that you?"

Diane turned a corner and stopped in her tracks. "My God, Alex!" She ran towards her daughter and threw her arms around the younger Vause's neck. "I can't believe you're here!"

"I didn't have much of a choice," she mumbled against her mom's shoulder.

"Damn straight, you didn't." Diane pulled back. "Let me look at you."

She nudged her eyeglasses and glanced away as if embarrassed by her physical appearance. "I look worse than I feel."

"Come in. Sit down. Do you want something to eat? Something to drink?" Diane walked towards the living room, hand on her daughter's back. "I was going to heat some leftover chili for dinner, but I can make something special for you."

"I'm fine, really." Alex looked behind her to see if Piper was following and didn't sit down until the blonde was by her side.

"Piper, I'm sorry!" Diane hugged her before she was able to sit. "I was so caught up in seeing Alex that I didn't even say hello."

Piper grinned. "It's good to see you."

The older woman directed her attention back to Alex. "What happened to you? Where have you been? I've been worried sick."

"It's a long story," the brunette sighed. "I got into some shit that I shouldn't have."

"Uh huh." Diane's eyes roamed from one woman to the other. She put her hands on her hips. "What is it you're not telling me?"

"We just flew nine hours after two restless nights," the brunette replied, head reclining against the cushion and eyes shut. "I'm sorry if I don't seem overjoyed."

"We're exhausted," Piper added. "Where's my dad?"

Diane seemed satisfied with the explanation for the time being. "He's been working late this week—end of the year reports and stuff. Last night, he didn't get home until close to 10."

Alex sat up straight, suddenly apprehensive about being in the Chapman home—a place she'd never truly considered her own. "How's he going to feel about me staying here for the time being?"

"You're my daughter." She snapped a dishtowel against Alex's leg. "He'll be happy to see you."

Somehow, Alex didn't believe that was true. "Would you mind if I took a shower? I feel gross."

"By all means." Diane put a hand on her daughter's arm. "I'm going to whip up something for dinner, and then we're going to talk." The older Vause gave her daughter a look that meant her request wasn't open for negotiation. "Piper, you want to give me a hand, or would you like to take a nap or just close your eyes for a bit?"

"I think I'll unpack a few things first." She scratched her head and glanced at Alex who was waiting for her in the entryway with her hand on the long handle of a rolling suitcase. "If that's ok with you."

"Yeah, of course." Diane smiled proudly. "It's good to have you home, kids."

Alex gave her mom the best smile she could muster before tugging her suitcase behind her. She passed up Piper's room and rolled the bag into what was once 'her' room. Before going inside, she craned her neck and watched Piper open her own door and disappear into the bedroom.

Piper put her bag on her bed, pulled out a few essential items, and then walked the few steps towards the other woman's room. "Can I come in?" she whispered.

Alex let out a long, shaky breath. "This place brings back so many memories."

"I know." Piper took a half-step into the bedroom and shut the door, seemingly unsure of how to proceed.

Alex tilted her head towards the ceiling, feeling tears irritate her eyes.

Piper wrapped her arms around her ex-lover's now-too-skinny frame. "Tell me what you need," she whispered.

Alex pulled back, hands immediately landing on Piper's cheeks. " _You_." She kissed her solidly on the mouth, pressing so hard that her lips felt like they could bruise. "I need _you_."

Piper returned the kiss, palms splayed on Alex's back, jerking her ex-girlfriend closer.

They broke apart a minute later, foreheads resting against each other.

"I don't want to do this on my own." Alex sniffed. "I can't."

The blonde wiped a tear from her cheek and used the pad of her thumb to caress Alex's cheek. "I won't let you."

Alex chanced a look into her ex-lover's eyes, her vision becoming increasingly cloudy. "So we're in this together?"

Piper nodded. "I am if you are."

" _Fuck_ ," she mumbled, placing a sloppy kiss on the blonde's mouth, this time with tongues dueling.

Forty-eight hours ago, Alex didn't know if she'd ever see Piper again, and now they were making a pact to stand by each other's side through what was sure to be an emotional ride. The few words they'd spoken were more than just an agreement—they were a promise, and Alex didn't need a string of _I-love-yous_ to roll from Piper's mouth to know that her declaration of support was genuine.

The brunette could feel mucus dripping from her nose and into their mouths as she tried to hold back a sob at the weight of the moment.

Piper wiped her own lips. "It's not hot when your snot drips into my mouth like that."

"No?" A wet snort surfaced.

"No."

Alex smoothed her lover's hair. "It's not your thing?"

She shook her head. "No, I don't like that."

"I thought you'd be into it." The brunette forced a smile.

"Mm mm." Piper ran her fingertips through thick, black hair. "I don't know what the future holds, Alex, but I can't imagine going another _day_ much less another year without you in my life."

She raised her eyebrows. "You won't have to."

Piper yanked her closer for a tight embrace. "I love you," she whispered against her collarbone.

Alex settled her hands softly on Piper's face and stared into her deep, blue eyes. "I love you, too, babe."

It felt so _fucking_ good to say those words to Piper, knowing they were reciprocated. How could she have denied the kind of love that existed between them? Letting go of Piper was a foolish move on her part, and now, she regretted it sorely. What she'd thought was a _selfless_ move was actually _selfish_. Alex couldn't believe she'd have another chance at loving Piper, but this time, she swore to herself that she wouldn't fuck it up.

She ran her fingertips down the side of the blonde's neck. "If I don't get in the shower in the next minute, my mom is going to know something's up."

The blonde shrugged. "Let her think that." She pushed a strand of hair behind Alex's ear. "I'm done hiding."

Alex traced her jawline with the pad of her thumb until it reached her chin. She lifted it slightly so they could see eye to eye. "You mean that?"

She nodded. "We'll tell them tonight, unless you want to wait."

Alex smiled through a new set of tears. "I don't want to wait."

Piper wiped her own eyes, and then her lover's cheeks. "Good, it's settled."

* * *

While Alex showered, Piper joined her step-mom in the kitchen. "Can I help?"

Diane pulled a bag of tortillas off the shelf. "I'm going to turn this chili into a burrito. Alex loves Mexican food, and I'll bet she hasn't had any in a long time."

Piper opened the can of black beans that was sitting on the counter. "I'm sure she'll appreciate it."

Diane spooned the chili into a pot and her mood turned somber. "How was Alex when you got there?"

"Pretty bad," the blonde admitted. "She's still not great."

"I was afraid of that," Diane sighed. "Why didn't you tell me she was in trouble?"

Piper averted her eyes. "I didn't want to scare you before I knew the facts."

The older woman folded her arms, seemingly ok with the explanation. "Was she into drugs?"

Piper bowed her head, sliding the opened can towards the older woman. "I should let her tell you everything."

"Thank you so much." Suddenly, Piper felt Diane's arms wrapped around her waist. "You might've saved my daughter's life."

There was no doubt in Piper's mind that was true—Alex was days or maybe even hours away from self-destruction.

"You're welcome." The blonde pulled back. "She's worth it."

Diane gave her a knowing grin. "To both of us."

Piper quickly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and looked away, nervous about informing Alex's mom about their relationship. She was so very grateful for Diane in her life, and of course, in her father's life.

"Something smells good in here." Alex walked in with a wet head, wearing an old baseball shirt with a white front and blue sleeves. Piper recognized it as her own and couldn't help the warmth that spread within her like butter melting on hot bread.

Diane dabbed her eyes. "I'm making burritos and Mexican rice. Sound good?"

"It does." She shuffled towards Piper. "Are you helping?"

"I am." The blonde smirked. "Look, I'm cooking."

"If by opening a can of beans, that means you're cooking, then yes, you are." Alex snickered, putting a hand on her lower back.

At first, Piper tensed, but then she recalled their conversation. She leaned into the touch and looked up at her lover and smiled, knowing she probably appeared stupid-in-love. Alex's smile gave just as much away, and the blonde knew there was no way Diane didn't recognize their _more-than-friends_ behavior.

Alex didn't step away; in fact, she increased the pressure on Piper's lower back. "Mom, there's something we need to tell you."

"I'm listening." She rested the wooden spoon on the counter, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

Alex glanced at her mother, and then at Piper who was now all but pressed to her side. "I love this woman… _so fucking much_."

Diane rolled her eyes as a smile cracked open on her face. "Tell me something I don't know."

Piper _knew_ it; she was just too afraid to have confirmed the older woman's suspicion a long time ago. "You knew all along, didn't you?"

"I had a strong suspicion." She enveloped both of them in her arms. "Moms know these sort of things."

 _Not all moms_ , Piper thought. She felt both Vause's hands on her back, and they felt remarkably similar.

Diane pulled back. "I'm just glad the two of you are finally owning up to it."

Piper looked sheepish. "We haven't told you because…because of my dad."

"There's so much to love about him, but he's rigid in his beliefs," Diane sighed. "We talked a lot about Alex over the past few months, and he isn't very open to her lifestyle. I worry."

Alex scratched her head and glanced away, concerned for Piper's pending confession to her dad.

"I'm going to tell him," Piper said with conviction, grabbing Alex's fingers, which were placed low on her hip.

"I'll be there every step of the way." Diane hugged the blonde. "I love you like a daughter, kid."

Piper felt the prickle of tears. She pulled back to look in the older woman's eyes. "You've been more of a mom to me than my own mother."

"Oh, Piper." Once again, she embraced the young Chapman.

Piper looked at Alex, who had a firm grin planted on her face.

"There's so much I don't know," Diane began. "Let me get the beans and corn into a pot, and we'll sit in the living room and talk."

Alex placed a kiss on Piper's forehead. "Ok."


	19. Chapter 19

The brunette did most of the talking—she told her mom (almost) everything from high school forward. When it got to the part about her involvement in the drug ring, things turned somber. Piper grabbed her hand several times as Alex fidgeted throughout the story.

Diane had a difficult time hearing some of the choices Alex had made while in Europe. There were a couple of times when the brunette had to pause so that her mom could take it all in. (Although Piper had heard Alex's story two days ago, it was still difficult to stomach.)

"Why didn't you come home?" Diane shook her head. "We would've helped you, Al."

"I wanted to make it on my own." She looked at Piper, who'd already benefitted from the answer to that question, and then returned her attention to her mom. "By the time I was waist-deep in the cartel, I didn't know how to get out—I didn't want to. The money and the drugs were a powerful combination."

"You're too fucking smart to have gotten yourself in that deep," the older woman complained.

Alex explained that she couldn't make sound decisions at the time, and she regretted her actions sorely. She left out the part about her and Piper's breakup being the primary factor for her nose dive into the drug world.

"You need to see a doctor," Diane stated, squeezing her daughter's hand.

She nudged her glasses. "I will."

"I'm going back to Smith, and I'm worried about leaving her," the blonde admitted.

"I'll take good care of her, hon," Diane replied. "You need to finish college."

Alex regarded the blonde, knowing that there was so much more to the conversation that they couldn't share yet. Piper had to be the one to inform their family about her pregnancy—that much was certain.

Alex yawned for the fourth time. "Can we pick this back up in the morning?"

"Yeah." Diane stood. "Did you both have enough to eat?"

"I'm stuffed." Piper put her hand on her stomach. "Thanks for being so understanding, Diane."

"You're welcome. And I'll work on your father."

The blonde smiled, but Alex could tell she was still worried about her dad's reaction to everything. She didn't know what would make Bill more upset—the fact that his daughter was in a relationship with a woman or that she was pregnant as a result of a one night stand.

By 10 o'clock, Bill still wasn't home, and the young women were fading. Alex had hoped that they could get the ordeal over with that evening, but it was looking more and more unlikely. Piper had told her that during the holidays, it wasn't uncommon for her father to work 12 to 14 hour days.

After the three women said their good nights, Alex followed Piper into her room.

"You ok?" the blonde asked, stripping down to her panties.

"Yeah." Alex took off her sweatpants but remained in Piper's baseball shirt.

Piper enfolded her in her arms. "You have an amazing mom."

"I do," she let out a soft chuckle. "I hope your dad is just as accepting."

She pulled back. "That's not going to happen." She pulled on an oversized t-shirt, and the two crawled into a bed that was once so familiar.

Alex took in a deep breath, relishing in the scent of Piper's sheets. "Tomorrow's a new day."

"It is," Piper sighed. She kissed her lover on the mouth, holding her chin with two fingers and a thumb. "I love you."

"Me, too." She hoped Piper could see her smile in the dim light.

* * *

Piper had gotten up to pee once that night and noticed that Cal's light was on. She thought about going into his room to say hello, but their house was cold; all she wanted was to be back under the sheets with Alex's warm body surrounding her.

She crawled back into bed, and it was only a matter of seconds before her lover's arms enveloped her from behind. Piper fell back asleep in an instant. She had no clue how long she'd been asleep before someone entered her bedroom.

"What the hell?" She was awakened by a man's booming voice. "What's going on?"

Piper sat up, taking a moment to realize it wasn't a dream. "Dad?"

"Is that _Alex_?" He took a step closer. "What is she doing in your bed?"

"I…we…" The blonde rubbed her eyes as Alex sat up next to her.

Bill grasped Alex's shoulder. "Get off my daughter!"

"Dad, stop!" Piper scuttled on her knees and reached the other side of the bed as quickly as she could.

His force was great enough to fling the brunette onto her back.

"What's happening?" Alex was still waking from being in a deep sleep.

"What are you doing in here?" Bill yelled. "This is not you're room!"

"Dad, let me explain," Piper pleaded, a hand now on his forearm. " _Please_."

"Alex is in your bed," he said as if that was news to her. "There must be some sort of mistake." Once again, Bill put his hands on Alex's shoulders.

She tried to fling his hands off of her, but the man was too strong. "Get the fuck off me!"

Cal busted in. "Whoa, dad!" He grabbed his father by the upper arms. "Let go of her!"

The light from the hallway was enough to show Bill's chest heaving in an out.

Piper stood in front of her father, trying to block him from attacking Alex. "Don't you lay another fucking hand on her!"

"Chill out, dad." Cal was behind Bill and had him by the arms as he yanked his father away from the bed.

Piper looked at her lover, who was searching for her glasses. The brunette found the spectacles and shoved them on her face. As soon as they were in place, she reached for the gray sweatpants at the foot of the bed—it didn't matter that, like the shirt she was wearing, they were Piper's.

"I've wanted to tell you about it…about _us_ for a long time," Piper said in a shaky voice. "But there never seemed to be the right time."

Diane barreled in and flicked on the light switch. "What's all the commotion?"

"Your husband just attacked me!" Alex shouted.

The older woman gave Bill a look. "You did _what_?"

"We talked about this, Diane. Your daughter can stay here when she's in town, but that doesn't mean I have to accept her lifestyle." Bill straightened his posture. "And what she's trying to do to my daughter!"

"She hasn't tried to do _anything_ to me," Piper yelled, standing toe-to-toe with her father. "I've been in love with Alex since high school. The only one who was blind enough not to see it is you!"

He jutted his head back. "What in God's name are you talking about?"

"News flash, dad: Piper and Alex have been together for like five years," Cal replied. "I know it's weird and all, but I'm pretty sure how they feel about each other is legit." Cal put a hand on his dad's shoulder.

All eyes were on Bill Chapman, who was still trying to control his breathing.

Piper chanced a comment. "Cal's right—I love Alex and have for a long time. I was afraid of this exact reaction from you, which is why I didn't say anything."

"How can you be in love with a…a _woman_?" Her dad asked. "You're not gay."

Alex huffed, and the blonde gave her a look.

"Now's probably not the time to explain fluidity, but it's a thing," Cal said, scratching his chin.

"I tried to warn you in the most sensitive way I could," Diane said, putting an arm around her husband's waist. "But you wouldn't hear it."

"I'm _still_ not hearing it!" he shouted. "My daughter isn't gay. She's a…she's an angel who always does the right thing."

 _Little did he know._

"I'm not an angel, dad. Far from it." She shook her head as her voice quivered. "There's a lot more that I need to share with you."

Cal's eyes widened. "There's more?"

Alex took three steps to her right and put her arm defiantly around the blonde.

Bill pointed towards the door. "Get out of my house."

"Excuse me?" Alex shook her head almost as if waking from a nightmare.

Piper took a step forward, grabbing her lover's hand. "She's not going anywhere; at least not without me."

"Piper, this isn't you. You're confused," he tried, putting a hand on her elbow.

"I've never been more certain of anything in my life." She raised her chin, looking her father in the eye. "If Alex leaves, I leave. _Period_."

Diane pulled him by the waist. "Let's give them some space. It's been a long day for everyone."

The blonde didn't back down; if anyone was to surrender, it would have to be him.

Bill turned abruptly, but before exiting the room, he addressed the women. "I won't be in the same house with homosexuals."

Piper shrugged. "Then leave."

"That's precisely what I'm going to do." He walked out with Diane hot on his trail.

Piper looked at her brother. "You can go now, too."

"Thanks, Cal," Alex quickly chimed in.

"Sure." Cal exited the room with eyebrows raised high.

As soon as her brother was out of sight, Piper turned to her lover. "I'm _so_ sorry, Alex."

She exhaled. "It's not your fault."

"I should've told him years ago." She brushed her hair off her forehead.

"We can't change the past." Alex took both of her hands in hers. "Do you want to stay here?"

"Tonight, yes. Tomorrow might be a different story." The blonde looked apprehensive. "As hard as it'll be, we both need to get some rest."

The brunette nodded. They climbed back into bed, and it took what felt like hours to fall back asleep.

* * *

The next morning, Alex awoke before Piper. It was snowing outside, and she could see colorful twinkle lights in the bushes, which reminded her that it was Christmas Eve. She glanced at the digital clock and noticed it was going on 11 a.m. Considering the night they'd had, sleeping that late was probably a good thing.

The blonde rolled onto her back and hooked a leg over Alex's.

She ran her hand down Piper's arm and placed a kiss on her bare shoulder. "Morning."

"Good morning." She stretched and yawned. "We have a big day ahead of us."

"Last night was awful," Alex sighed, head falling back onto the pillow hard. "I don't know how we're going to fix this."

Piper strung a piece of dark hair over Alex's ear. "If we can't, we'll leave. I can ask Polly if we can stay at her house the rest of the time we're in town."

That reminded Alex that Piper was on Winter break—waking up together every morning was far from permanent.

"I have one more semester before we can figure out long term stuff," the blonde continued, rubbing Alex's cheek with her thumb. "In five months, I'll have a job in New York, and we can find a place together."

"In five months, you'll be in your third trimester, Piper." Alex faced her lover and propped herself up on her arm. "Have you thought about how you're going to address your pregnancy with _Time_?"

"No." She shrugged. "But they can't fire me for being pregnant."

"Do you know if you'll have health insurance if you've only worked there for a month before the baby comes?" Alex continued.

"My benefits kick in the first day on the job, except the 401K. I can contribute to it from the start, but they won't match my contribution until my second year." The blonde sat up and must've noticed the frown forming on her lover's face. "What's wrong?"

"This is just so royally fucked up," she said with an incredulous laugh. "I'm a good-for-nothing drug addict, your father hates me, and you're pregnant."

"The American dream," Piper tried with a soft smile.

Alex huffed, but her smile mirrored her lover's.

The blonde traced a finger along her lover's jawline. "We're going to find a way to get through this— _all_ of it."

Alex had a hard time believing that, but she loved Piper for having faith that things would work out. "Your optimism is astonishing."

"Pessimism will get us nowhere." She kissed Alex on the cheek. "Let's get out of bed and start facing reality."

The brunette watched her lover bounce out of bed, and she wished she had half of the conviction of the younger woman. She wasn't so sure things would turn out right—there was too much shit to muddle through for Alex to see the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

* * *

Piper spent two hours on Christmas Eve talking to her father after he came back briefly from spending the night elsewhere. He couldn't comprehend bisexuality, and as hard as the blonde tried, she couldn't get through to him. The conversation ended with Piper explaining that he didn't have to _get_ her, but if Bill wanted her in his life, he'd have to _accept_ her.

There was a moment when Piper thought she should mention her pregnancy, but she didn't want to lay too much on him at once. Besides, she wanted Alex next to her for _that_ conversation.

They ended the discussion with a hug, but the blonde was concerned about next steps. Bill didn't tell her she couldn't stay there, but he insinuated that they would not be sleeping under the same roof if she chose to sleep with Alex.

Piper didn't think it was right to make her father sleep in a hotel or wherever he'd spent the previous night, so she planned to dig deep and call her mom later that day. They'd spoken on the phone a week ago and seemed to be on decent terms, but the blonde had no idea how her mother would react to her relationship with Alex. She figured if Carol didn't accept her choices, it wouldn't hurt half as bad as her father's lack of acceptance, so really, it was no skin off her back to at least ask her mom if she could stay with her for the duration of her time in Greenwich.

Alex wasn't too keen on the plan, but Piper's comfort was her top priority. She said she'd call Nicky to see if staying with her and Lorna was an option, and the blonde agreed to it but didn't want to intrude.

"Merry Christmas, mom," Piper said into the phone as she paced in her bedroom.

"Hello, Piper. Will I get to see you while you're home?"

She could feel Alex's eyes on her as she walked from one end of the room to the other. "That depends."

"On what?"

"Mom, there's something I need to tell you—something that I told dad yesterday," she said.

"What is it?"

"I'm…Mom, I'm…" Piper stopped in front of the window and watched the snow fall, thinking of what a peaceful scene it was outside and what a shit show it was inside. "I'm in a relationship…with a woman."

"You're _what_?"

"I'm in love with another woman, and I have been for quite some time." She spun around and looked at Alex, who was perched on the lip of the bed.

"It's that all-women's college, isn't it? I _knew_ that wasn't the best choice for you," Carol replied.

The blonde rubbed the back of her neck with her free hand. "It has nothing to do with going to Smith, mom. I'm in love with Alex, dad's wife's daughter."

"Ha!" She let out a dubious laugh. "You _must_ be kidding!"

"No, I'm not." Piper closed her eyes, hating that she had to go through the tale again. "I've been in love with her since high school, so this isn't something new."

"What has gotten into you, Piper Elizabeth?"

"Nothing has gotten into me," she sighed. "And going to therapy isn't going to change my mind or the way I feel, so please don't suggest it."

"Therapy has done wonders for me," Carol said as if she needed to defend psychologists everywhere.

Alex reached for Piper, and the blonde stood between her legs. "That's great, mom."

Silence descended upon them until her mom spoke again. "I have some gay friends, you know."

Piper's eyes shot open. "You do?"

"I can be a modern woman, Piper. In fact, I'm much more cosmopolitan now that I'm no longer with your father," she huffed.

Alex put her hands on Piper's hips. "Speaking of dad, he's not happy about this. He doesn't want Alex and me to stay here."

"He never was tolerant of homosexuals," Carol responded. "And he's quite closed-minded. I don't know what Diane sees in him, but I'm glad to be rid of his conservative, self-righteousness."

Piper put her hand on the top of Alex's head as her lover kissed her belly. "Would it be asking too much if Alex and I stayed with you for the next couple of weeks?"

"I'd have to get the maid to make up the spare room," she said as if it was a huge undertaking. "And this whole place needs to be cleaned properly. I fired Juanita last week, so Molly Maids needs to send someone new. Can you believe she washed the windows with a homemade concoction that made my house smell like bleach for days?"

The blonde rolled her eyes. "No, I can't believe that."

"I had to go to the doctor, because my nose burned from the fumes," Carol huffed. "If I can get someone to clean on Christmas Day, you're welcome to stay with me. Oh, and there will absolutely be no gay sex in my apartment! Do you understand that, Piper?"

"I wouldn't dream of it." She smiled, giving Alex a thumb's up. "If you can't get someone to clean, Alex and I would be more than happy to do it ourselves."

"Well, you'd have to work extraordinarily hard. The place is disgusting."

She knew her mother well enough to realize that if one dirty dish was left in the sink overnight, she'd call the place a pigsty.

"I'll call you in a couple hours. Thank you, mom." With that, Piper hung up and hugged her girlfriend.

"She said, 'yes'?" the brunette asked.

"Don't get too excited; you haven't met Carol Chapman yet."

Piper told her father about their arrangement, and he looked conflicted—he seemed to not want his daughter to leave, but he was also unyielding on " _her newfound homosexuality_."


	20. Chapter 20

Piper asked her girlfriend for a couple of hours alone with her mother before Alex arrived at Carol's apartment. The brunette was perfectly fine with that situation, because she, too, needed to talk to her own mom one on one.

The two drove to a quaint coffee shop down the road, Alex with her suitcase in the trunk of her mom's car, feeling apprehensive about leaving her when she'd only arrived the day before.

Alex swirled agave nectar into her green tea and joined Diane at a table. "I'm not sure what to say."

Diane put her hand on top of her daughter's. "I won't let him treat you like this."

She lifted her eyes. "How can you live with him?"

"He's a good man, Al; just not on this issue." Diane tried. "I've been chipping away little by little, and I think it's working, but it's going to take some time."

Alex shook her head. "So what—you're going to let him take his sweet time coming around to accept that Piper and I are gay?"

"We talked this morning." Diane tried to look her daughter in the eye, but Alex kept her focus on the Christmas tree in the corner of the coffee shop. "I told him that if my daughter wasn't welcome in our home, I didn't feel welcome there either."

Alex whipped her head around. "You said that?"

"We're a package deal, kid." She shrugged, taking her daughter's hand in hers. "Bill has known that from the very beginning."

She lowered her head. "Yeah, but he didn't know I was a lesbian when you first got together."

"Doesn't matter," the older woman began with confidence in her tone. "He has 24 hours to figure shit out. Tomorrow's Christmas day, and I'm hoping for a miracle."

Alex gave her a thin, closed lip smile.

"The first thing we need to do is get you healthy, kid, and then you can decide what you want to do after that. Maybe take a few classes or get a steady job in Manhattan. You've always loved the City."

"Yeah, but I can't afford it if I make minimum wage," the younger Vause commented.

Her mom leaned forward. "I don't want you to worry about that right now. I'm going to take you to the doctor, she'll give us tips on how to make you well again, and we'll go from there."

Alex's shoulders slumped, but she nodded.

"I'm glad you're back, hon."

She swatted a single tear that fell. "I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Piper."

Diane smiled. "She's a keeper."

Alex reflected on Piper's current condition and wondered if her mom would think of her as _a keeper_ if she knew she was pregnant because of a one night stand.

* * *

Piper recalled in an instant why she'd despised her mom's apartment from day one—it was decorated like a castle with gold and marble as far as the eye could see. It was ostentatious and uncomfortable, and she didn't understand why her mother would want to live like that.

"I'm glad you got here when you did." Carol pressed her cheek lightly against her daughter's in lieu of a kiss. "Molly Maids sent some woman over this morning who was _not_ effective." She walked towards the bathroom, tilting her head to the side for Piper to follow. "Look at the streaks on the shower door!"

Piper clenched her jaw, reminding herself that if it wasn't for her mom, she might very well have been homeless that night. "I can fix it."

Her mother eyed her up and down. "Since you didn't dress up for Christmas Eve, you're more than welcome to try. Gloves and cleaning solutions are under the sink."

The blonde glanced at her jeans and red sweater in the mirror as her mom disappeared. She didn't know how long she'd be able to tolerate Carol Chapman, but at that moment in time, she had no other option.

* * *

Alex arrived at Carol's apartment two hours after Piper, and she was greeted with a limp handshake from the older blonde.

"You don't _look_ gay," Carol said, scrutinizing Alex's figure.

The brunette pushed her glasses higher upon her nose. "Do lesbians have a look?"

"Of course they do," she huffed, folding her arms. "Most of them are manly-looking. I think the term is _butch_." Carol appeared proud of herself for knowing that particular vernacular.

"Mom!" Piper reprimanded. "Not all lesbians look like that, and it is completely careless to determine a person's sexual orientation by outward appearances."

Her mother waved a dismissive hand at Piper, and eyed Alex from head to toe. "Well, Alex, you're _quite_ attractive. I would never peg you as gay, and please take that as a compliment." Carol jostled her head as if Piper's previous comment was insignificant. "I can see why my daughter is attracted to you—physically at least."

Alex creased her forehead. "Thanks, I guess."

"I'm not sure how much I need to know about you though," Carol sighed, fluffing a gold, shimmery pillow on a side chair. "Piper can be fickle with whomever or whatever she likes."

The blonde was taken aback. "I've had one boyfriend my entire life. How can you say that I'm 'fickle'?"

"Don't argue with me, young lady." The older woman put her hands on her hips. "I'm not just referring to boys."

Piper took a step closer to her mom and tried to look her in the eyes, but Carol glanced in the opposite direction. "I can assure you: I'm with Alex for the long haul. Get to know her if you'd like, but I wouldn't want you to go out of your way."

"Don't worry, I won't." Carol spun on her sensible heels and clicked her way towards the kitchen. "I expect you to do your own laundry and make your own meals," she called. "Oh, and I don't buy excessive groceries, so if there's something you'd like to eat, you'll have to purchase it yourself."

After Carol rounded the corner, Alex leaned forward and said in a louder than normal voice, "It's nice to meet you, too." She rolled her eyes and grinned at her girlfriend. "So that's who you lived with for 16 years?"

Piper let out a long breath. "The one and only, Carol Chapman."

That afternoon, nothing Carol had to say was warm or welcoming. The only small talk they made was about the cleaning service and how disappointed Carol was in their work ethic. Alex didn't know how to reply to that since she'd never had a maid her entire life, so she tried changing the topic to something she could talk about with ease. First, she talked about the weather, but that was met with complaints about the apartment manager not keeping the walkway clear of snow. Next, Alex tried talking about Italy, but Carol said she'd only been once and had no desire to return to that "Machiavellian society." Finally, she tried talking about Piper—the one sure thing they had in common—but Carol only chastised her daughter for not staying in touch and putting on a few extra pounds. Piper's mother went on to say that while she didn't understand a lesbian lifestyle, she was a better person than Bill Chapman, and had no problem letting homosexuals stay at her apartment… _temporarily_.

The young couple retreated to the spare bedroom, and as soon as the door was shut, Alex chuckled. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

Piper smiled. "I told you."

"I thought you were being dramatic." She pushed away from the door and took Piper's hands.

"I might be prone to theatrics… _sometimes_ …but I couldn't make up half the shit my mom says." She craned her neck up for a kiss.

"Sometimes?" Alex grinned.

The blonde released one of her lover's hands and pushed her hair across her forehead. "I'm not overly dramatic."

"Please," Alex huffed, lips tugging upwards. "You missed your calling as a thespian."

Piper smiled and wiggled her eyebrows. "I'll settle for being a _lesbian_."

After a quick peck on the forehead, the brunette continued. "Your mom is so pissed at your dad that she's allowing us to stay here just to spite him." She shook her head. "I don't see this ending well."

"I know." The blonde looked up at her. "They don't even know about my pregnancy yet."

Alex nudged her glasses higher. "When are you going to say something?"

"Probably the day I go back to college." She unzipped her bag and pulled out her toiletries. "Will you be there when I tell them?"

She raised her eyebrows. "If you want me to."

"I do." Piper paused. "How was the talk with your mom?"

"Fine." The brunette glanced at her watch. "She's taking me to the health clinic in a few minutes."

Piper halted her movement and looked Alex in the eyes. "Do you want me to come with you?"

"No," she stated casually. "I could use more time alone with her if that's ok."

"Of course, it is." Piper ran a hand down her girlfriend's arm. "Maybe I can go with you next time—if there _is_ a next time."

Alex gave her a small smile. "I'd like that."

The blonde exited the room, and for the first time since Piper had traveled all the way to Milan, Alex felt arousal stir deep within her. She instantly recognized that once familiar hunger—something she hadn't experienced in a very long time. Alex grinned at the thought of having sex with her lover and hoped that Piper was still attracted to her in that way.

* * *

Although Alex didn't think she'd get a clean bill of health from the doctor, she didn't think she had an addiction to drugs or alcohol. She'd gone five days without either so far, and no part of her wanted to get high. In fact, the thought of snorting cocaine sickened her.

The doctor ordered a urine analysis and blood work, explaining that the results would take at least 48 hours to come in because of the holiday. She had a long, private conversation with Alex about nutrition and taking care of her body, and the brunette was only mildly annoyed that the doctor seemed to be treating her like a child. She deserved the lecture, but that didn't mean she _enjoyed_ it.

The young doctor also recommended that Alex see a psychologist for the next couple of months. At first, the brunette put up a fuss, claiming she didn't have health insurance nor the money to "see a shrink." Alex didn't have a leg to stand on after the doctor informed her that the psychologist was part of the Affordable Care Act and she wouldn't have to pay a dime. (Judging by her mom's expression, seeing a mental health professional wasn't optional.)

Alex promised to read the articles and books listed on the printout that the doctor gave her. She needed to be well— _be healthy_ —for Piper and the baby. She was tired of feeling depressed and sickly; Alex had a new reason to live, and that had everything to do with Piper.

* * *

Diane made good on her promise of not standing for Bill Chapman's homophobia—she told her husband he'd need to find an alternative place to lay his head, because she sure as hell wasn't going to bed with a man who had shunned her very own flesh & blood.

Alex and Piper remained at Carol's apartment at night, though they visited with Diane during the day. Piper refused to spend any more time than absolutely necessary with her mother, and the feeling seemed mutual. Alex had nailed it when she said that the reason her mom allowed her and Alex to stay at her apartment was to "one up" her ex-husband. It wouldn't be the first time.

Piper had only a small inkling of what Diane's conversations with her father were like that made him leave his own home. Diane was a force to be reckoned with, and Piper assumed that if their major disagreement concerned her daughter, the older Vause would have her claws out. The blonde was thankful for Diane's presence in her life, and even after being home for only a week, she could see a positive change in Alex's health and mood largely due to Diane.

Alex's test results came back, and her drug and alcohol biomarkers were low or non-existent. That wasn't a huge surprise to Alex, though Piper wondered if Diane was more shocked than she let on that her daughter had been completely clean since her return from Europe.

The younger Vause read a couple of articles about drug and alcohol abuse, but those weren't the ones that intrigued her—the ones she couldn't put down were about nutrition and the body/mind connection. She tossed around phrases like _biochemical detoxification, integrative therapeutics,_ and _micronutrient deficiencies_. Alex read three books about addiction  & nutrition in just as many days, and Piper could see her lover's mind at work. She'd identified the problem and was fascinated by the natural, non-medical solutions.

Piper hadn't witnessed Alex apply herself academically in high school, but she'd known that the brunette was incredibly bright solely by her expansive vocabulary. The way Alex studied nutrition & health for substance abusers was how Piper had once relentlessly prepped for the SAT.

Over their final week in Greenwich together, Alex began experimenting with food. When her mom came home from work, she showed Alex a few simple culinary techniques like how to poach an egg and blanch vegetables. Piper was overjoyed at watching her lover grasp hold of something with such gusto, plus she benefitted from the healthful meals that the brunette forced her to eat.

Two days before Piper headed back to Smith, her father returned home. Apparently, he and Diane had reached an understanding, and she allowed him to come back. While Piper was grateful for Diane's persistence with her dad, she knew that the next bombshell she'd drop on them might very well put her right back on the curb, so she hadn't moved out of her mom's apartment just yet.

Piper prepared herself for what she knew was going to be another calamitous conversation. She'd talked with Alex at length about how she should bring up her pregnancy, but the brunette had no tips or tricks that would make it any easier. " _Just fucking blurt it out_ ," Alex had offered, at which point Piper had given her a pointed look.

* * *

Piper and Alex entered the living room to find Diane sitting on the edge of an armchair and Bill standing at the far end of the room, hands on his hips. Alex sat on the sofa, but she didn't lean back; she was ready to pounce if Bill said anything that would upset Piper.

She glared at her father. "Are you ready to listen with an open mind?"

"Yes," he whispered, but she could tell nothing could be further from the truth.

Piper decided to finish the conversation that they'd begun two weeks earlier instead of jumping into the fact that she was pregnant. She needed her father to understand that she was in love with Alex, and that wasn't going to change.

She inhaled deeply and scratched her forehead, preparing herself mentally for a bout. "During my junior year in high school, I started developing feelings for Alex—feelings I'd never had before."

"What about Larry?" Bill asked. "He was your boyfriend."

The brunette chuckled, and Piper figured that her lover must've been thinking of how ludicrous it was to be compared to her ex-boyfriend.

Piper stood between the Christmas tree and the sofa. "Larry wasn't the boy for me—he wasn't the _person_ for me."

"So you decided you liked _girls_?" he scoffed.

"I prefer the term _women_ ," the brunette chimed in.

If looks could kill, Bill had shot Alex dead.

"Alex was interesting and smart and different," Piper continued, hands twisting in front of her belly. "I'd never met anyone like her. She made me feel…appreciated in a way that no one had before."

Bill looked away, fingers massaging his chin.

"Before I knew it, I was in love." She glanced at Alex, who gave her a sweet grin.

The brunette reached out, and Piper linked their fingers together.

Her father furrowed his brow. "How is that possible?"

Piper kissed her lover's knuckles before letting go of her hand and standing directly in front of him. "Remember when I walked in on you and Diane at Sardi's a million years ago?"

He clenched his jaw.

"I'll never forget what you told me that day: 'Sometimes we can't control where our heart goes'," she repeated in a soft voice. "Alex and I are in love; we're a couple, and you can either get on board or miss out on my life."

Diane looked up at her husband with desperation as Alex stood next to Piper, ready to perform whatever act was necessary—save her from a slapped face or ready to run.

"I don't _understand_ it." Bill covered his mouth. "But I don't want to lose you, Piper."

Piper watched Diane's face light up as if she wasn't certain her husband would pull through. For her part, the blonde wanted to rejoice at her father's statement, but she couldn't bask in his semi-approval with other matters weighing heavily on her mind.

"There's something else," Piper admitted, glancing at Alex. "It's something you all need to know."

Cal, who had been lurking in the kitchen, walked past the entryway, eating a Christmas cookie.

"Get in here, Cal," Piper called, hands on her hips.

Her brother stood behind the sofa, chewing slowly. "What's up?"

Alex took her hand, squeezing it tightly as Piper steeled herself for what she was about to confess.

"There's no easy way to say this." She released a long, trembling breath. "I'm um…I'm pregnant."

All three of them raised their eyebrows high enough to touch the ceiling.

"Excuse me?" Bill replied.

"What?" Diane looked at her daughter. "How could that be?"

Cal's eyes roamed from left to right, looking at Piper and then at Alex. "Isn't that impossible?"

"I hadn't slept with a guy before Piero." The blonde decided to get it all out as quickly as possible. "He was one of Pete's friends—they played soccer together, and he was on exchange from Italy." She placed her free hand on her belly, rubbing it in slow circles. "We had sex _once_ , and I didn't feel well afterwards, so I went to the doctor six weeks later."

Piper had never said the man's name aloud until that moment, and she could see the blood rush out of Alex's face. The brunette hadn't wanted to know details about her baby's father, but now that he wasn't nameless anymore, Piper could see her girlfriend's mind ticking like a bomb. Piper thought for a moment about excusing herself with Alex so she could check in on her mental state, but she decided that pressing on with her father was more critical in that moment.

"I don't understand." Bill shook his head. "You aren't _loose_ , Piper."

"No, she's not," Alex jumped in. "She just told you; it was one time."

He gave the brunette another death glare.

"I'm three months along." Piper lowered her head and looked at her belly. "And I'm keeping it."

She knew that was the first time Alex had heard her say those words. It shouldn't have been surprising—Alex knew that she would've at least mentioned abortion as an option when she'd first informed her of the pregnancy if that was ever a real possibility.

Bill plopped into the armchair, almost as if he'd fallen. "This is completely out of character. What were you thinking?"

She shrugged. "It was a rare moment when I didn't _want_ to think…I just _acted_."

He shook his head as if trying to clear the fog. "Why didn't you use protection?"

"I thought we did! He ripped open the packet and…" Piper trailed off, embarrassed by her confession. She didn't feel the need to explain every detail of that horrendous night, so she settled for, "I was drunk and stupid. It's a mistake I'll pay for the rest of my life."

"Yes, it is!" Bill huffed. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to raise a child?"

"Yeah, I have an idea," she said defiantly.

"You're still in college, and you have a job lined up for you. Everything was perfect!" He shook his head. "Why would you screw it up like this?"

She crossed her arms. "I'm still going to finish college and work at _Time_ —there's no question about that."

"But you're going to have a _child_! How in the hell will you handle everything as a single mother?" Bill yelled.

"I'll figure it out. Lots of women do," the blonde whispered, averting her eyes.

"I'm _very_ disappointed in you, young lady."

Her father's words stung—despite not verbalizing her need for his approval, she'd sought it her entire life.

As silence descended upon them, Diane tried in a hopeful voice, "Is there some part of you that's excited about having a baby?"

Piper's gaze landed on her. "No, not yet, but I'll get there."

"Children are a blessing." She looked at Alex. "My situation wasn't exactly like yours—I thought Alex's father loved me, but he'd just used me. There was a time in the beginning of my pregnancy when I considered an abortion." Her eyes filled with tears. "Can you imagine a life without this one in it?"

Piper's chin quivered. "No, I can't."

Alex hugged her girlfriend, and Piper buried her head in the crook of her neck and cried.

Bill stood. "My daughter and I need some time alone."

"No," Piper said, lifting her head but not entirely removing herself from her lover's arms. "Not tonight, dad." She dabbed her cheeks with her shirtsleeve. "I'm exhausted, and I can't fathom talking about this until I'm blue in the face."

"Tomorrow, then," he sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Cal, anything you need us to know since it seems to be a confessional in our living room tonight?"

Cal shook his head vigorously.

He walked towards his study and turned around with a stern look on his face. "I'll speak with you in the morning."

Before Diane left the room, she grabbed Piper's arm. "Just so you know, I'm happy for you, kid. It might not have happened like you wanted, but you're gonna be just fine. I _know_ it."

The blonde let go of Alex and took a few steps towards Diane, wrapping her arms around her shoulders. "Thank you."

It was the first time _anyone_ had told Piper they were happy for her. Alex had said words of encouragement and support, but she'd never used the word, _happy_.

* * *

Note: Did you honestly think I wouldn't have Diane stand up to Bill? Of course she wouldn't allow her bigoted husband to kick her daughter out of her home. Although I chose not to write a scene between Bill and Diane (this story is told through Piper and Alex's POV), rest assured, in my mind Diane _let him have it_.


	21. Chapter 21

Rated M for Mature.

* * *

Alex didn't know exactly what Piper and her father had discussed in private that morning, but she knew that Piper was relieved that everything was finally on the table. She'd offered to borrow her mom's car to take Piper back to college, but the blonde wanted to have her car at school and had promised to give Polly a ride.

They woke up side-by-side the morning of Piper's departure, and Alex wrapped an arm around her lover's waist and placed a kiss on her neck.

Piper stretched as she rolled onto her back. "I'm going to miss waking up with you."

Alex's lips tugged up into a soft smile, but she moaned at the thought of not being with her lover every day. "That will definitely suck."

"Are you going to be ok while I'm gone?" Piper traced a finger down the brunette's cheek.

"Somehow, I'll find a way," Alex joked, but she knew her partner could detect melancholy in her eyes.

Piper smiled, but it didn't soothe Alex.

"I'm going to see if Salvatore's will hire me again," she exhaled, not at all pleased at the reality of her situation. "I need to move out of this house as soon as possible, but I can't do that without a job."

Piper wrinkled her brow. "My dad will let you stay here."

"Maybe." She wiped a strand of hair across her lover's forehead. "But I don't want to."

"It would just be five more months, and then we can get a place together in Manhattan," the blonde tried.

"Can't wait." She leaned down and kissed Piper on the lips. Alex didn't want Piper worrying about _her_ during her final semester at Smith, so she decided to let the matter rest.

As the brunette pulled back, something in Piper's expression shifted, and her eyes grew darker. Alex recalled in an instant what those tempestuous blue eyes implied— _Piper wanted her_. She kissed her lover more resolutely, tugging Piper's lower lip gently between her teeth.

During their stay in Greenwich, they'd slept together every night, but they hadn't kissed passionately much less had sex over the course of those two weeks. Alex had bouts of sexual desire, but Piper never seemed to be on the same page when the brunette was aroused. Alex hadn't wanted to force the issue and didn't know if it would even be comfortable for Piper due to her pregnancy.

She slowly ran a hand up Piper's t-shirt until her hand landed on the blonde's right breast. Alex broke the kiss and breathed, "Is this ok?"

Piper looked her in the eye and nodded, hand flying to the back of Alex's neck to jerk her in for another searing kiss. It was Piper who removed her girlfriend's tank top and underwear first, lips trailing down her neck and chest until they reached her breasts. One hand roamed down Alex's body to the juncture between her legs as Piper's mouth bathed her nipple.

Alex tangled her hands in long, blonde hair, pulling Piper's head closer. The stimulation she felt at Piper's touch was astonishing. It seemed like forever since they'd had sex, and in that moment, Alex couldn't fathom why they'd ever stopped. She tugged Piper up for another kiss, and the blonde removed her hand from Alex's stomach and settled it on her cheek. Piper cradled Alex's face as she deepened the kiss, tongue reaching for tonsils. Alex took that moment to let her fingertips glide down Piper's side. She massaged her lover's ass before moving her long fingers to the blonde's center. Alex grinned against Piper's mouth as she felt the extreme wetness between the blonde's legs. She drug the sticky juices from her opening to her clit several times before inserting one finger into her girlfriend's pussy.

She pumped her single digit slowly in and out of Piper's opening, twisting it slightly with every motion. "Can I do this to you?"

The blonde smiled. "You're not going to touch the baby if that's what you're worried about."

Alex chuckled against her mouth.

Piper pulled back with a grin plastered across her face. "Were you seriously worried about that?"

"Logically, I _know_ that would be impossible," she admitted, swiping her lover's hair behind her ear. "But I've never fucked a pregnant woman."

"Is that what you're going to do?" The blonde's expression turned from giddy to erotic. She toyed with one of Alex's tits, rubbing her nipple between two fingers. "Fuck me?"

Alex inserted a second finger and increased her speed. "Yeah."

Piper craned her neck, giving the brunette a fresh palette of creamy skin to kiss. She sucked on the blonde's neck in several places just long enough not to leave a mark. Alex thumbed Piper's clit, and she was rewarded with moans of pleasure.

"Finish with your mouth," Piper demanded, pushing her lover's head down.

Alex wasted no time, crawling down her lover's body, kissing her every inch along the way. She kicked the sheets and comforter off the bed and settled between the blonde's legs. Wrapping her arms around Piper's thighs, Alex dove in with her mouth. Piper's back arched like a cat, and the brunette splayed her hands across her belly to try keeping her in place. She licked, sucked and bit Piper's tender, pink skin, relishing in the way she tasted. Piper's juices were all over her lips & chin, and Alex had to release one of Piper's thighs to touch herself.

Piper glanced down at Alex's head between her legs and her hand between her own folds, and she came undone. "ALEX! Ungh, ungh, ungh!" She moaned and screamed as Alex felt her own orgasm rise within her. Their mutual cries were surely loud enough to be heard by anyone passing by, but Alex didn't care. She was swallowing her lover's juices while having a powerful orgasm of her own.

Alex collapsed onto her lover in a sweaty, sticky, breathless state. Piper tugged her arm, signaling for Alex to join her at the top of the bed.

"Wow," the blonde breathed, one arm resting above her head on the pillow, the other mindlessly rubbing Alex's back. "Why didn't we do that sooner?"

Alex let out a diminutive chuckle. "Good question." She wiped her mouth on Piper's chest, and then lifted her head to look at her lover. "You're so fucking gorgeous."

The blonde blushed and tucked a strand of dark hair behind Alex's ear. "So are you."

"I'm going to miss you." She chastised herself for the quiver in her voice.

Piper closed the distance between them with a delicate, open-mouthed kiss. "Me, too."

They laid in each other's arms for another hour, dozing off to sleep for minutes at a time before Diane knocked on the door.

"Hate to break the news, kids, but Polly's here," she called through the closed door.

"Ok, thanks." Piper wiped her drowsy eyes.

Alex pushed herself up and hovered over her lover's body. "I guess this is it."

"For now." Piper pushed thick strands of cascading black hair over Alex's shoulders. "I love you."

"Love you, too, babe." She placed her lips gently against Piper's. "And don't worry so much about me while you're away. I'm going to be fine."

Piper sat up. "Who said I was worried about you?"

Alex grinned, thankful for her lover's sense of humor. "No one." She kissed Piper once more before the blonde rolled out of bed.

"Same goes for you, you know." Piper put her nightgown back on and grabbed clean clothes from a dresser drawer. "I promise to take care of myself and the baby." She rubbed her belly.

Alex scooted to the end of the bed and reached for her girlfriend, tugging her closer by the hips. She lifted Piper's nightgown to place several kisses on her stomach. "Good."

Piper leaned over and kissed her on the top of the head, and then walked towards the door. "I'm going to take a shower."

Alex nodded. "Ok."

When Piper was out of the room, Alex flopped onto her back, arm resting over her forehead. She didn't know how to survive without Piper in her daily life—she'd proven that in Italy. There was a part of her that was nervous about it, but she'd never been more confident about a future with Piper than she was at that point in her life. Her therapist had given her several techniques for coping with stress and uncertain circumstances, and Alex hoped that they would prove useful when she needed them.

* * *

Notes: Sorry this one is so short-there was nothing I could do about it before beginning Book IV. I seem to be traveling at the beginning of each new book, so please look for an update in a couple of days. I'll do my best to update tomorrow.


	22. Chapter 22

BOOK IV: I'M ABOUT TO COME ALIVE

Piper didn't yearn for an epic goodbye scene with Alex this time—they'd done that over the years when Alex had to travel back to Europe, and she didn't want anything to remind her of those painful chapters in their lives.

The morning of her departure, Piper's father was called in to work, so she didn't get to tell him goodbye. _Just as well_ , she thought. The two were on speaking terms, but there was still bad blood between them. Piper didn't know how to fix things with her dad, and she certainly didn't have the energy or mental capacity to try to patch things up before she returned to Smith.

She kissed Diane on the cheek, Alex on the lips, and patted Cal on the head. "See you soon." Piper walked out of the front door, turning around and walking backwards halfway down the sidewalk, putting a hand over her heart and pointing towards Alex.

The blonde shared everything with Polly on the drive to Smith, tearing up at certain parts along the way. Polly asked all the right questions and seemed supportive of her decision to stick it out with Alex. The guilt that Polly felt about setting her friend up with Piero was evident, and Piper assured her that she didn't assign blame to anyone but herself. After all, _she'd_ chosen to get drunk; _she'd_ chosen to go to Piero's apartment; and _she'd_ chosen to have sex with him.

Twenty-four hours hadn't passed before Piper missed Alex to the point of aching. They _needed_ each other, and in some ways, they were each other's savior. Polly was instrumental in encouraging her roommate to devote her time and energy to finishing her last semester at Smith with gusto; however, Piper didn't know if she had it in her to finish strong. She'd get through, that much was certain, but it wasn't going to be a walk in the park.

It a few weeks for Piper to adjust to life without Alex, and despite their mere two-week coupling in Greenwich, the blonde had grown accustomed to waking up with her girlfriend; running her thoughts by Alex; and trusting that they both had each other's best interest at heart. The plan was to see each other monthly and to text, talk, or Skype daily.

By early February, Piper's hormones were flaring. She'd read that pregnancy increased some women's libidos as well as intensified orgasms. It didn't take long for the blonde to test that theory—she and Alex had Skype sex almost every night. Alex'd laughed at Piper's sex drive, but she certainly didn't complain.

Alex hadn't shared much about her life back in Greenwich with Piper other than the fact that she'd gotten her valet job back at Salvatore's. (They'd hired her as the supervisor after Brandon moved to California.) Piper learned that her girlfriend had mostly been couch surfing at random people's apartments, but she had no place to call a permanent home. When Piper reminded her that she could stay with her father and Diane, Alex often changed the subject. Piper knew they'd have a lot to discuss when Alex visited her in Northampton, but the first thing she planned to do was ravage Alex's body.

* * *

After Piper's departure for her last semester of college, Alex knew she'd have to battle with Bill on her own. She thought that it would be unfair to bring her mother into it, so whatever beef she had with Piper's dad would remain squarely between them. She also refused to tell her girlfriend every little detail—there was no need to bother Piper with matters that she couldn't fix.

The brunette spent the first three weeks at random people's apartments—mostly guys from Salvatore's. She'd spent one weekend at Nicky & Lorna's place in the City, but the commute on public transit after her shift ended at 1 a.m. was no fun at all, so she decided to room with friends who resided within 10 miles of the restaurant.

Alex was able to borrow her mom's car on weekends to get to and from work, and one particularly icy night, she'd spun out on a major highway getting to one of her friend's apartments across town after midnight. The brunette didn't hit anyone or damage anything, but it was enough to shake her up and say to herself, _fuck this shit_ , and talk to Bill about moving back into his house. After all, the streets between the Chapman home and Salvatore's were always well-maintained in the snow and icy conditions.

It wasn't just the spin out that bothered Alex. She hated having to sneak into the Chapman home to re-pack her clothes and do laundry every week. The boxes that Janae had shipped from Milan to Greenwich still hadn't arrived, so she was stuck with the same three pairs of jean, black pants, and six shirts that she'd brought with her from Italy just before Christmas. Additionally, the apartments where she stayed were all cramped, and some of them were downright disgusting. She refused to stay at Paul's apartment based solely on his shower, which looked like it hadn't been cleaned in a year. Alex thought that one of the older servers at Salvatore's, Mateo, would surely have a decent place, but turned out, he was a hoarder. While the brunette was grateful for a place to lay her head, she'd had enough couch surfing to last a lifetime.

One Sunday morning, Alex called her mom to check-in as she often did throughout the week, but Diane had to talk quickly as she was going out to breakfast with friends. It was the perfect opportunity for the brunette to have a conversation with Bill. Although she was nervous about the impending discussion, Alex knew it was necessary.

She decided that knocking on the door would serve her best, not knowing if Bill realized that she still had a key.

He answered the door and looked relatively shocked to see her standing on the doorstep. "Alex."

"Bill." She hoisted her duffle bag higher on her shoulder. "May I come in?"

He wordlessly stepped aside.

She set her bag down behind the sofa. "It smells good in here. Bacon?"

"Yes, would you like some?" He walked back into the kitchen.

Alex didn't follow him. "No thanks. I don't eat the stuff—cholesterol alone will kill you."

Presumably noticing that the brunette wasn't behind him, Bill took a few steps back into the living room. "What brings you here?"

"We need to talk." She tossed her hair over one shoulder with a quick flick of her head.

He folded his arms. "I'm listening."

"This could take a while." She jutted her chin towards the kitchen. "You might want to turn off the stove."

Bill did as requested, and this time, Alex _did_ follow him into the kitchen.

She knew it was now or never, and with Diane away, they could have an honest conversation without her mom trying to mend the fence.

"It's no secret that you and I aren't each other's biggest fans," she began. "But for the sake of my mom and your daughter, we have to come to an understanding."

"And how, exactly, do you suggest we do that?" He flipped three slices of bacon onto a plate that was already covered with scrambled eggs and white toast. "I will never buy into your lifestyle, and between the two of us, I think you've brainwashed my daughter."

" _Buy into my lifestyle_?" Alex repeated with a short huff. She licked her lips before proceeding. "Piper is the smartest, most independent person I know. It would be damn near impossible to convince her to do something she didn't want to."

He looked up from slathering a piece of toast with blueberry jam. "Piper is not gay."

"I don't care what label you assign to her." She shrugged. "She's in love with _me_."

"But you're a woman," he stated unnecessarily.

"You can believe whatever you choose to believe, Bill." She took a step closer. "I'm in Piper's life, hopefully forever, and you need to come to terms with that."

He licked the jam off his fingers. "I accept that, mostly for Diane's sake, but I choose to think of you as friends."

"I don't really care how you think of us."

This frustrated Alex to no end, but now wasn't the time to try to convince a bull-headed man that two women could be in a loving, _sexual_ relationship. He'd have to come to that conclusion over time, but Alex wasn't holding her breath. She watched him shovel eggs and bacon into his mouth and had to turn away. Bill reminded her, in more ways than one, of a pig.

"I need a place to stay," she blurted out, rolling one of her flannel shirtsleeves over her elbow. "I've been couch surfing for almost a month, and it's not sustainable."

He stopped chewing and looked up at her. "And you're hoping to stay in this house?"

Alex lowered her eyes. "If you let me live here, I'd insist on doing the grocery shopping, cooking, running errands and helping Cal with homework…or…whatever."

"Instead of paying rent?" He broke off a piece of toast.

"Yeah." She kept her eyes on the ground. "I can't afford it right now."

"That's an interesting proposition." Bill set his fork down and steepled his hands. "Can you cook?"

She adjusted her glasses. "I'm learning."

He wiped his mouth with a napkin. "I'm sure I'd get points with your mother if I acquiesced."

"I'm sure you would." Alex gave him a forced smile, not understanding how her mom, a sensible, street-smart woman, could fall for a supreme jackass like Bill.

"Fine." He ate a bite of eggs. "But you _will_ pull your weight around here."

"Absolutely."

He popped a piece of bacon into his mouth. "I'm confident we're in agreement, but this conversation will remain between the two of us."

"Yeah." She scratched her head and looked away.

"Good." With that, he walked out of the kitchen.

 _Fuck you_ , she mumbled under her breath. Alex's plan was to stay as far out of Bill's sight as possible and simply perform the duties she'd outlined without complaint. She was just thankful that she had a place to stay and could be with her mom every day.

* * *

The primary reason Piper wanted Alex to visit her in Northampton first was so that the brunette could accompany her to the doctor. Although she'd developed a baby bump when she departed Greenwich before the end of Winter break, Piper's abdomen poked out another couple of inches by the beginning of February. She mostly wore baggy clothes so people couldn't tell, but she knew Alex would notice even if she had on a large sweater.

Piper had convinced Polly to stay with Pete that weekend so that she and Alex could have the dorm to themselves. Although it wasn't much to brag about, Piper liked her corner room in the apartment-style suite, and she was eager to christen every corner in the small apartment with her lover.

Alex arrived 20 minutes later than the blonde had anticipated, but the brunette had enjoyed the scenic drive in her mom's new Acura.

"Hey, babe," Alex greeted, arms flying around Piper's waist. "There's definitely a baby in there."

"I've gained like eight pounds since I last saw you." Piper rubbed her belly and returned her girlfriend's smile. "The doctor will tell me the exact amount when we see her tomorrow."

The brunette gave her a wide, seductive grin and arched an eyebrow. "You look good."

Piper took both of her hands and leaned in. "So do you."

Alex looked a hundred times healthier than when Piper had last seen her. There was color in her face and her cheeks weren't sunken in. Piper made a mental note to inquire about what she was doing to improve her health, but in that moment, the blonde had a one-track mind.

Alex pulled her in for a deep, lingering kiss. "Hormones still raging?"

"It's part of the whole pregnancy thing." She nodded and traced her fingers over Alex's lips. "Let me show you my room."

Hand in hand on the walk to the dorm, Piper pointed out buildings where she had classes, the gym, the dining hall and the library. The blonde walked at a fast clip through campus until they finally reached a red-bricked, three story building. They made small talk along the way about Alex's long drive, Piper's classes, and the fact that Polly wasn't going to be a bother that weekend.

"Here we are." Piper opened the door and allowed her girlfriend to step inside first.

"It's nicer than I pictured." Alex looked around. "Two bedrooms? For some reason, I thought you and Polly shared a room."

Piper put her arms around her lover's waist from behind. "We did the first three years."

Alex dropped her duffle bag and turned in Piper's arms. "It's nicer than any apartment I've ever lived in."

The blonde closed the distance between them, running her hands up Alex's neck and into her dark locks. "Your place in Milan was nice."

"Not _this_ nice." Alex put her hands under Piper's sweater and rubbed her lower back. "Speaking of nice, have your tits gotten bigger?" She jutted her head back to look at her girlfriend's chest.

"Why don't _you_ tell _me_?" Piper ripped the sweater off her body and stood before her lover in just a teal bra.

Alex reached for her breasts. "Definitely bigger." She lowered her head to take a nipple into her mouth through the fabric.

Piper's head fell back and she moaned. "I'm going to apologize now for the copious amounts of sex I'm going to need, starting right now."

She felt the brunette laugh against her breast. "No need to apologize for that."

Piper tipped Alex's chin up. "I want you to fuck me until I'm sore."

She smirked and threw her glasses onto the coffee table. "I think I can handle that."

Their mouths crashed together, and before long, clothes were shed and they were sprawled on the living room floor. Alex placed a pillow under her girlfriend's head as she ate her pussy long and hard. The blonde's orgasm ripped through her, and she hadn't had one like that since the last time they had sex over Winter break.

Piper didn't waste time going down on Alex, and she was turned on when Alex pulled her hair as the brunette rode out an intense wave of pleasure.

Their love making/sex continued through the night, and it wasn't until 2 a.m. when they decided they needed to eat something more than each other, so they baked a frozen pizza in the mini-kitchen.


	23. Chapter 23

Rated M for Mature

* * *

If she had to guess, Alex would assume they'd gotten four hours of sleep that night. Piper was indeed sore the next morning, especially her thighs and behind her knees. They'd fucked in positions that Alex hadn't tried before, and Piper's limber body was up for just about anything. Her baby bump didn't stop them from anything, and Alex figured there would come a point when her lover's body wouldn't be able to bend the way it did, so they might as well enjoy various positions while Piper's bump was still mostly small. The blonde had purchased a vibrator that she swore she hadn't used on herself yet—she'd saved it for when she was with Alex, and the two of them got some use out of The Rabbit, though Piper admitted to enjoying her lover's tongue and fingers far more than the toy.

They showered together, where another round of sex ensued, but once they'd both gotten dressed, Alex made her girlfriend promise that they'd keep their clothes on until after her 10:30 doctor's appointment.

On the quick drive to the doctor's office, Piper clutched Alex's hand, but they mostly remained silent. The brunette could sense that her girlfriend was nervous about the appointment, but Alex didn't know if that was natural for expecting mothers or if it was because _she_ was present. Before she was able to ask Piper about it, they'd arrived at the Northampton OB/GYN Clinic. Alex squeezed her lover's hand before getting out of the car. " _I'm sure everything will be fine_."

Piper undressed and put on a thin gown, while Alex stood frozen in the room. There were tools covered by a blue napkin, a wand next to a tube of some sort of ointment, and a small monitor that beeped every few seconds. The brunette didn't like hospitals or doctors' offices—they were always so _cold_ , and she knew if she was in one, something was wrong. Alex had to remind herself that she was only there for Piper. _Everything will be fine_ , she internally repeated the words she'd just spoken to Piper, trying to convince herself that they were true.

The doctor lubed up Piper's stomach and passed the ultrasound wand over it, and reality came crashing down on Alex like a tornado thrashing a small town.

"Look!" The blonde gasped and pointed to the monitor. "Do you see it?"

"Yeah." Alex's hazel eyes changed colors and resembled a stormy sea. "Yeah, I do." She felt like she'd been transported to another dimension—like they weren't at the doctor's office, looking at her lover's unborn child on a tiny screen.

If it was difficult for the brunette to fathom Piper being pregnant, and other than her protruding belly and insane sexual drive, there wasn't anything different about her girlfriend. The fact that a baby was inside of her seemed unimaginable, and knowing she would deliver the baby, and that child would be with them for the rest of their lives, well, that seemed downright impossible.

Piper clutched Alex's hand, bringing her back to the present.

"It's still too early to tell the gender," the doctor said, moving the paddle over Piper's belly. "But it looks healthy. See the little legs?"

Piper covered her mouth with one hand, clearly amazed at the developing fetus. "Oh, my goodness!"

Alex did, in fact, see the legs as she felt blood rush out of her face. She was thankful that her girlfriend's attention was focused on the monitor, because if Piper had glanced at her, she'd surely worry that Alex was close to fainting.

The gynecologist went on and on about the baby's vitals, position, and general health, but Alex couldn't concentrate on any of it. There was a dull buzzing in her ears that drowned out the conversation between Piper and the doctor.

Until that moment, the idea of Piper having a baby was so far out of their daily lives that it almost seemed fictitious, and now there was proof in the form of an ultrasound that her girlfriend would be a mother in five months. _How in the fuck am I supposed to deal with that?_

The doctor wrapped up the visit, giving Piper an excellent report on her health as well as the baby's. She instructed Piper to watch what she ate, keeping in mind that hunger could strike at any moment, and she should always have a healthy option on hand.

The blonde turned to Alex. "Do you have any questions for Dr. Nagle?"

She quickly recovered, adjusting her glasses and giving Piper her best smile. "No."

Alex knew that her girlfriend could tell something wasn't right.

The brunette hooked her thumb over her shoulder. "I'll wait for you out there."

"Ok." Piper began putting her clothes back on as Alex slipped out the door.

She paced in the reception room, where three women with protruding bellies sat in comfortable chairs awaiting their check-ups. There was too much gestation around her, and Alex almost fled the scene. She looked up at the ceiling and breathed in through her nose, out through her mouth.

"Hey." Piper hooked her purse over a shoulder. "Ready?"

The brunette whipped her head around as if she was caught doing something she shouldn't have been doing. "Yeah."

"You're in a rush. Hang on!" The blonde called as Alex walked out of the doctor's office three steps ahead of her.

She stopped and twisted around. "Sorry."

The blonde caught up with her and shielded her eyes against the sun with her hand as she stared up at Alex. "Is something wrong?"

Alex shook her head, eyes scanning the horizon. She tried desperately to sort things out in her mind, but she couldn't seem to put the way she was feeling into words. "That was…" she clenched her jaw. "That was fucking _real_."

The blonde lowered her hand and squinted up at her lover. "I'm having a baby, Alex, so _yeah_ , it's _real_."

"Seeing it on the ultrasound…" She threaded her hand through her long hair. "I guess I wasn't ready."

"Did you need more time?"

"How would _that_ help?" She shrugged. "Unless you could miraculously turn back the clock."

"And not be pregnant?" The blonde elevated her eyebrows. "Sometimes I wish that, too, but that's something I can't change."

Alex put her hands on her hips. "You could have an abortion."

"You're right, I could." She took a step closer. "But I'm _choosing_ to have this baby."

Alex lifted her shoulders. "Where do I fit into this plan?"

"You'll be the baby's second parent," she stated as if it was a no-brainer.

"We've never had that discussion, Piper," she said with a firm shake of her head. "I said I'd _support_ you, but I never signed up to be a parent."

"Is that what you're telling me?" The blonde's countenance changed dramatically as if Alex had just told her that the sky was falling. "Do you not want to do this?"

"I don't know, but I would like to have been asked or at least consulted instead of you just assuming that I was on board," she sighed.

"I just assumed…"

"Yeah, you did. And that's not fair to me." Alex looked directly into her girlfriend's eyes. "You should've asked me how I felt about terminating the pregnancy versus having the baby."

"I thought you were staunchly pro-choice?"

"Absolutely, I am, but when you expect _me_ to be the second parent, I get to choose how active my role should be—not _told_ that I'm going to be a parent when the kid isn't technically mine."

Piper looked despondent. "I wish this child could be yours, Alex. I _really_ do."

The brunette glanced away, not sure what else to say at such a statement.

"Why is this all coming up now?" Piper filled the silence. "Is it because you saw a living, breathing baby on the screen?"

"Yeah, that's part of it." Once again, she ran her hand through her hair. "I know _nothing_ about being a parent!"

"You think _I_ do?" The blonde thrust a thumb towards her chest. "I was raised by an adulterous father and a drunk mother who had no idea what it meant to be good parents!" She took a deep breath. "I _know_ we can do better than they did."

A woman walked out of the doctor's office, and Alex realized that they were still standing in the middle of the parking lot. "We should leave."

The blonde walked towards the Acura and waited for Alex to unlock the doors. She pressed the fob and climbed into the driver's seat. The couple was quiet on the short drive back to campus, and Alex didn't know what to say to make things better.

Piper looked up at her with dejected eyes. "I want us to be parents together. I shouldn't have assumed that you wanted the same thing."

"No, you shouldn't have." The dark haired woman parked under a tall pine tree. She turned her body towards her girlfriend and felt her chin start to quiver. "I'm so fucking scared." Alex blinked, and a tear rolled down her cheek and dripped off her chin. "I mean, what if I fuck up this kid's life?"

"You won't fuck it up any more than I will!" Piper laid her hand over Alex's. "Neither one of us will be the perfect parent, but we can learn how to do this together."

Alex stared out the windshield and was reminded of the time many years ago when she and Piper almost kissed after the blonde had attempted to steal beer from a convenience store. Life was so much easier back then. She grew a bit depressed at the thought of still working at Salvatore's almost five years later, having made very little of her life since then. Alex wondered what kind of parent she'd be when she couldn't string her own fucking life together as something to be proud of.

"My child and I are a package deal, Al." Piper squeezed her hand. "I love you more than I ever thought I could love anyone. I _need_ you in my life, but there's two of us now, and that's not going to change."

The brunette twisted her neck to glance at her girlfriend, and she could feel tears racing under her frames. "I love you, too—that's not the issue. This is just so fucking _hard_."

Piper lifted her eyebrows and leaned in. "Since when have you avoided something difficult in your life?"

She shook her head and wiped her runny nose with her shirtsleeve. "Never, I guess."

"I'm asking you, Alex, _please_ be my other half and raise this baby with me," she pleaded.

"I can try," Alex whispered.

Piper threw her arms awkwardly around the brunette as they sat in the front seats of the car. Alex buried her head in the crook of her girlfriend's neck and clutched her eyes shut, trying to prevent the waterfall of tears from staining Piper's jacket.

"That's all I ask," the blonde whispered against her ear.

* * *

That evening, both women were fairly quiet. They ate a poor excuse for Chinese food in the school cafeteria, and then went back to Piper's apartment and watched a movie. Although they were tangled up in each other on the small sofa, Alex didn't feel as connected to her girlfriend as she had when she'd first arrived.

At the end of the film, Piper turned to her. "Is there anything else we should discuss?"

Alex considered her question for a moment. "Have you read any books about having a baby?"

"A few."

She adjusted the blanket over Piper's legs as if needing something to occupy her hands. "Anything you think I should read?"

Piper tapped her forefinger against her chin. "There's one called _Ina May's Guide to Childbirth_ that you might like. I'll give you my copy before you leave."

The brunette hiked her glasses up. "It's going to take some time for me to wrap my brain around being a parent, Pipes."

"You're not the one with the constant reminder." Piper rubbed her belly. "So I understand."

She kissed the blonde on the top of the head. "It's been a big day. I'm ready for bed."

"Me, too." Piper stood and stretched. "We didn't get much sleep last night."

Alex lifted her eyebrows and felt her lips turn into a smirk. "No, we didn't."

The blonde chuckled and pulled Alex up by the hand. "Maybe tomorrow we can go back to _not sleeping_."

Her smirk developed into a full smile. "I enjoy bouts of _not sleeping_."

Piper leaned up for a kiss. "So do I."

* * *

The next morning was unseasonably warm for February, so Piper convinced her girlfriend to go on a walk around the vast campus. She lent the brunette a pair of Lululemon pants and a light blue hoodie, and as soon as Alex changed into the sporty gear, Piper's sexual desire clouded over her. She'd seen her girlfriend in yoga pants a hundred times, but there was something about Alex wearing _her_ clothes and looking _so fucking hot_ in them that made her want Alex more than usual (which was saying a lot.)

About halfway through their walk, she tugged Alex into the library and towed her by the hand up three flights of stairs until they reached the third floor. " _Where are you taking me_?" Piper shoved her lover against a tall stack of historic European atlases, and all Alex could do was comply.

"Jesus, Piper!" She whispered between sloppy kisses.

The blonde untucked her girlfriend's shirt, and her fingers searched for bare flesh. She lowered her head and sucked on Alex's alabaster skin at the base of her neck.

Alex would be lying if she said she wasn't turned on, but she was far more conscientious than her lover. Piper had gone from _I can't tell my dad about us_ to _I want to fuck you against any surface_.

The brunette looked around before shoving her right hand under the waistband of Piper's jeans. She drug a finger from the blonde's opening to her clit over and over again. Piper reached down to unbutton her jeans so that Alex had more room with which to work, so the brunette gave her what she wanted: she inserted two fingers while her thumb worked at the sensitive nub.

"Like that?" Alex bit her girlfriend's neck, and then soothed the mark with her tongue.

Piper bucked into her hand. "Mmm hmm. Harder."

She didn't know if she could fuck her girlfriend harder, but Alex did her best and twisted her fingers as they dove in and out of Piper's dripping pussy. "Cum for me, babe."

That was the only encouragement Piper needed—she released onto Alex's fingers as her groans intensified. The brunette covered her mouth with her free hand, but Piper showed no signs of keeping quiet. Alex could feel the walls of Piper's vagina tighten around her digits, and she closed her eyes as she enjoyed the sensation.

She pulled her hand away and placed kisses along Piper's cheek until she reached her lips. The blonde's breathing slowed as she returned her lover's kiss. Suddenly, a smile broke out on Piper's face, which turned into a full-belly laugh.

"Fuck!" the blonde whispered. "I can't believe we just did it in the library!"

Alex laughed as she held Piper's head against her shoulder. "Any other place on campus you want to desecrate?"

The blonde pulled back, smile stretching from ear to ear. "So many more."

She kissed her forehead. "Zip your pants, pervert. Let's get out of here."

* * *

By Sunday evening, Piper had finally gotten her fill of sex. The couple went to dinner at one of the only fancy dining establishments in Northampton and laughed at the various places they'd had sex. It wasn't until their main courses arrived when the conversation turned from humorous to serious.

"I talked to your dad about staying at the house," Alex said after a bite of grilled salmon.

Piper sipped her sparkling water. "And?"

"I said that it was no secret that neither of us were each other's biggest fan, but I wasn't going anywhere, so we needed to settle the fucking divide between us." She wiped her mouth with a napkin.

Piper raised her brows. "You said that?"

She nodded. "I told him that I didn't plan to freeload, but I needed a permanent place to stay." Alex nibbled on a sautéed green bean. "I promised to make dinner at least three nights a week, do the grocery shopping and help Cal with school shit in exchange for a roof over my head."

The blonde reached across the table and covered Alex's hand. "Why didn't you tell me any of this?"

She shrugged. "I wanted to wait until we were together."

"What was my father's reaction?"

"He didn't throw his fucking arms around me if that's what you're wondering." She ate another green bean. "He said it sounded fine. I'd already told my mom that was the only way I could be there—if Bill allowed me to earn my keep."

Piper pushed her plate away. "You don't have to do that, you know. My dad knows the consequences of not accepting you in his life."

"I _want_ to, Piper." She ate the last bite of salmon. "I'm no one's charity case, and I'm not a fucking teenager anymore—I need pull my own weight."

Piper lowered her head. "I just don't want you to feel like those are things you _have_ to do to have a place to call home."

"Trust me; they're not. It's settled." She grabbed her girlfriend's hand. "There's something else I want to tell you that's far more tantalizing."

Piper leaned forward. "What is it?"

She nudged her glasses. "Last week, I took my first two classes at Norwalk Community College."

"Alex, wow, that's wonderful!" She yelled, squeezing her girlfriend's hand. "What are you taking?"

" _Nutrition, Health & Society_ and _Introduction to Physicochemical and Biological Aspects of Foods_ ," she replied with a tiny grin.

"I _knew_ it," Piper said, matching her grin. "The way you gravitated towards the literature and articles your doctor gave you in December—I knew you'd discovered something that turned you on."

Alex wagged her eyebrows. "Speaking of turning me on…"

"I don't think I could have sex for another week if I tried." Piper had the decency to blush.

Alex let out a boisterous laugh, and it was a sight for sore eyes. Her girlfriend's health had improved dramatically over the course of six weeks, and Piper hadn't seen Alex look as relaxed and happy as she did in two years.

"Your loss," the brunette tossed back. Truth be told, she was all 'sexed out', too.

"Tell me about your classes. Are you planning to transfer to a four-year college?"

Alex told her girlfriend about the junior college courses, and her eyes lit up. It was still extremely early in the semester, but Alex appeared to have found her calling. She'd researched local universities with nutritional science programs and had even talked with her therapist about leads for a possible internship the following year.

The women passed on dessert, and Alex announced after another hour at the dinner table that she needed to get on the road. Her Monday morning class began at 8:30, and she hoped to get a good night's sleep prior to her favorite of the two classes.

Saying goodbye wasn't easy, and Piper's waterworks didn't help. When Alex dropped the blonde off at the dorm, Piper wrapped her arms around her and sobbed. Alex soothed her with words of encouragement and promises that they'd see each other in four weeks. That had to be enough; Piper knew that, but leaving Alex had never been a painless task.

Alex held her face between both hands. "Do good, kid."

She nodded.

"Love you." Alex kissed her on the nose, and then the lips.

Piper closed her eyes. "Love you, too."

With that, the blonde got out of the car and watched the love of her life speed away, hoping she wouldn't go back on her promise to raise the child together.


	24. Chapter 24

Rated M for Mature.

Over the course of the semester, things remained fairly consistent: the couple met one weekend a month (except in March since Piper's spring break was the first week of April), Alex continued taking classes at a community college while working at Salvatore's, and Piper successfully managed her academics and her pregnancy. The two times Piper went back to Greenwich, her father stayed in their home despite her and Alex sharing a bed, which was a huge victory in their eyes. They were convinced that Diane had everything to do with that.

The brunette had proven herself to Bill—she'd cooked, cleaned and helped Cal with his homework. Diane wasn't thrilled about her daughter feeling like she _needed_ to earn her keep, but she did appreciate the help around the house (and despite repeated attempts at telling Alex her help shouldn't be a form of payback, Diane knew it was a losing battle.) Piper's father mostly ignored Alex at home, but he allowed her to stay there, rent-free, so she could use her income to pay for classes (though Diane insisted upon contributing to her daughter's education, too.) Although she made just above minimum wage, Alex was still able to save 10% with her mom's generous contribution. She intended to transfer to a four-year college eventually and recognized that she'd have to pay a large sum even if that was two years from that point.

Alex spent much of her free time in the Salvatore's kitchen, learning how to cook from the professionally trained chefs. One chef in particular, Trevor Accardo, took Alex under his wing. He'd graduated from the Culinary Institute of America three years prior, and although he was only a sous chef, Trevor was charged with adding healthy variety to the Salvatore's menu. His style was right up Alex's alley, and she watched him like a hawk. For a few weeks, the brunette tossed around the idea of becoming a chef, but the prep work and long hours weren't appealing. She didn't know exactly what she wanted to do for a career, but she knew it would have something to do with food.

Despite her early protests about seeing the young, Ph.D. candidate psychologist from Queens, Alex continued talking to Vanessa once a week and admitted to her mom that it helped. Their first two sessions were unproductive because of Alex's stubbornness, but when Vanessa straight-talked her, the brunette respected her for not _laying down the psychotherapy bullshit_. Alex was learning to accept the darker parts of her life, though she didn't enjoy thinking about those shadowy days. She was also beginning to understand why she turned so heavily to drugs  & alcohol—they allowed her to forget. The most difficult times in therapy were when Vanessa forced her to remember and reflect.

Alex hadn't drank a sip of alcohol or so much as smoked a cigarette since her return from Italy. She knew that when Piper had the baby, she wouldn't be able to smoke, so she just gave it up cold turkey. When she felt particularly stressed, under the advice of Vanessa, Alex went for a long walk or practiced yoga—two things she never dreamed of doing prior to moving to Milan years ago. (Not believing Alex's newfound appreciation for downward dogs, Piper made her girlfriend promise to practice yoga with her next time they were together.)

What Alex hadn't shared with anyone other than Vanessa was that just before Piper had arrived in Milan, she was within days of killing herself. She'd lost the will to live, and her therapist helped her grapple with the fact that it wasn't _exclusively_ because of Piper; rather, it was because she didn't love herself enough to make good choices. Alex had despised herself for close to a year for ending things with her girlfriend, and that animosity bled into loathing Piper. It took the brunette months to come to terms with that, but eventually, she accepted it and took responsibility for her actions without blaming Piper.

Alex shared many of her therapy conversations with Piper, but she didn't think telling her girlfriend that she'd hated her at one point would make Piper feel good about herself. Besides, there was nothing the blonde did to warrant Alex's harsh feelings, and her lover would probably be terribly upset if she knew she'd unintentionally caused Alex pain.

Although Alex had seen Piper during Skype or FaceTime sessions over the past several weeks, she couldn't tell just how pregnant her girlfriend was on her phone or a computer. It wasn't until Piper came home for spring break when the brunette noticed her expansive belly.

Piper wobbled out of her BMW, and Alex rushed to her side. "Holy shit, Pipes, did you swallow a pumpkin?" She touched her protruding stomach.

"Ha, ha, very funny." The blonde leaned in for a peck on the lips.

She grabbed Piper's bag and strung an arm around her lover's back. "I knew you were big, but you're huge!"

Piper gave her a barbed look.

"Don't get me wrong—you're beautiful," Alex promptly recovered, tugging her girlfriend by the hand. "Beautifully pregnant."

No one was home when the blonde arrived, so they had the whole house to themselves for a couple of hours. Piper excused herself to use the restroom as soon as they walked inside (something she apologized in advance for since the baby was pressing against her bladder), and Alex, with a smile on her face, watched her girlfriend sway down the hallway.

Alex had been almost as horny as her lover the week prior to Piper's arrival, and she couldn't wait another minute to have sex with the blonde. She stripped down to her underwear and casually leaned against the doorjamb leading into Piper's bedroom, legs crossed at the ankles.

Piper walked out of the bathroom and was clearly taken aback. "What do we have here?" She eyed Alex up and down.

The brunette shrugged, one hand holding her head up as her elbow pressed into the doorjamb. "I'm feeding your libido."

"It's _very_ hungry." Piper ran her fingertips down her girlfriend's chest and tits until both hands grabbed hold of her hips. "And you're _very_ sexy."

Alex didn't adjust her position, but she leaned forward just a bit to kiss the blonde on the lips.

"Your body…" Piper pulled away, examining the woman in front of her. "You've always had a nice body, but this toned image is…" She stepped back into Alex's space and kissed a trail across her lover's chest, hands running down her stomach."

"Yes?" Alex smirked.

Piper looked at her with dark, ravenous eyes. "Hot."

It had taken Alex the better part of four months to surpass 'normal' health and get into shape, but she took it seriously by eating right and exercising. She knew that her lover would appreciate the effort.

The brunette pushed off the wall with her elbow and devoured Piper. Their hands roamed up and down the other's body, and Alex was shocked at how turned on she was by her lover's pregnant belly. She got on her knees, right there in the hallway, and pulled Piper's underwear down under her maternity dress, taking a big whiff of her pussy before diving in. The blonde tasted different—not better or worse, just different—and Alex assumed it had something to do with her pregnancy.

Piper put both hands on either side of the doorjamb as her head rolled back in ecstasy. "What if someone walks in?"

"Then they'll see me eating you out," she said between long, thorough licks.

Two minutes later, Piper came in Alex's mouth. She put one hand on her dark head, drawing her as close as possible, and bucking into her face. The brunette loved the way her girlfriend reacted to her touch, especially when she sucked on Piper's clit.

"Fuck," the blonde breathed as she came down from the high.

Alex wiped her mouth and stood. "You're so beautiful, babe." She kissed a line up her neck. "Even when you're six months pregnant and as big as a house."

Piper slapped her lightly on the arm. " _Alex_!"

"I'm kidding." She laughed and went in for a proper kiss. "Pregnant or not, you're gorgeous. I mean it."

The blonde gave her a tender smile. "Thank you. And thank you for…that."

She walked into the bedroom, and Piper followed her inside, shutting the door halfway.

Alex tilted her girlfriend's chin up with two fingers before exploring Piper's mouth with her tongue. The blonde backed her up until Alex's legs hit the mattress, and the brunette's knees collapsed, forcing her to plop on the edge of the bed, breaking their kiss.

Piper leaned down to kiss Alex again. "My turn." Piper crawled onto the bed with desire once again pooling in her eyes.

Alex grabbed her head a little rougher than intended and kissed her lover resolutely on the mouth. After several minutes of making out and with a little assistance from her lover, Piper scooted up until she was lying on her back, head resting on a pillow near the headboard. She crooked a finger towards Alex, who was still at the foot of the bed. "Come here."

The brunette had made that exact request to Piper many times in the past, and it turned her on to no end to see her lover replicate the demand. She slinked up Piper's body, having to raise herself more than usual over the baby bump until her center hovered over the blonde's mouth.

Without warning, Piper craned her neck up and licked her pussy.

"God, Piper!" Alex tossed her head back, exposing her long, smooth neck.

The blonde continued eating Alex with vigor, and it didn't take long for Alex to cum against her talented tongue. "Yeah, Piper! Ungh, right there. God, fuck, Piper!"

Just as Alex's orgasm subsided, they heard the front door shut. "Alex? Piper? I'm home!"

The brunette collapsed next to her girlfriend and they both giggled at the near interruption. "To be continued."

"Indeed." Piper smiled.

* * *

Although Piper didn't think she or Alex needed to take Lamaze classes, she'd insisted upon doing an online birthing session together while they were both in Greenwich. The brunette wasn't keen on the idea, suggesting that _Lamaze was invented for wealthy Yuppies who thought that throwing money at breathing exercises would make the delivery less painful and more symbiotic_. Nevertheless, Alex acquiesced with a small chip on her shoulder.

The one thing she _did_ appreciate was the position of Piper sitting between her legs. While they watched the video and practiced a few birthing techniques, Alex got a little handsy with her lover. It started with her massaging Piper's back, but then her hands traveled around to her enlarged breasts. Alex leaned down several times to place a string of kisses on the column of her girlfriend's neck, and it wasn't until she started sucking on Piper's earlobe when the blonde finally called her out.

"Alex!" She twisted her neck around, and her eyebrows formed a V. "This is important stuff to help increase my confidence!" Piper hit pause on the video. "Stop messing around and help me."

"Alright, sorry." The brunette raised her hands in surrender. "I got carried away with your… _big fucking tits_."

Piper couldn't stop the grin from forming on her face. "You can play with them later."

She frustratingly combed her fingers through her dark hair. "How am I supposed to resist touching them…or sucking on them when they're right in front of me?"

Piper rotated her body until they were face to face. She bent her knees and put each leg over one of Alex's. "The video lasts another 30 minutes," she began, running her hands down her lover's arms. "If you can hold out until then, I promise to make it worth your while."

Alex arched an eyebrow and leaned forward to kiss her. "Promise?"

The blonde tugged Alex's lower lip lightly with her teeth, releasing it when there was no more give. "Promise."

They finished the video, both somewhat paying attention to what the instructors were saying, but there was no question where their minds were for the duration of the online course. The second the video ended, Piper was the one to ravage her girlfriend on the living room floor. She made good on her promise and helped Alex achieve an astonishing orgasm not once but twice.

"You do realize we're going to need to watch another video?" Piper commented, lazily rubbing her lover's bare back.

"Why?" she whined, lifting her head to look at Piper.

"Because neither one of us paid much attention to this one."

"At least you're not just blaming me." The brunette lowered her head onto her girlfriend's chest.

"You were the one who started messing around," she mumbled, fingertips dancing on Alex's back.

"You say that as if you didn't enjoy it."

"Oh, I enjoyed it," Piper began, kissing the top of her head. "But I was invested in the video until you distracted me."

"Bullshit!" Alex let out a short burst of laughter. "The second my lips touch any part of your body, you're like putty in my hands."

"Is that right?"

"Yes, and you know it."

Piper wormed her way into a seated position, back pressed against the bottom of the sofa. "While that may be true, it doesn't mean that I wasn't paying close attention to what the instructors were demonstrating."

"You could write the script for those videos, Piper!" Alex adjusted her position and rested her head on Piper's outstretched legs. She casually grabbed her girlfriend's left arm and braided their fingers together over her chest. "Don't tell me you haven't read at least five books and like a hundred articles about childbirth."

"Of course I have, but this is as much for me as it is for you." The blonde used her free hand to play with her lover's hair.

Alex twisted her neck and looked up at her with a serious expression. "Are you afraid that I'm not going to be prepared to help you deliver the baby?"

"Maybe." She shrugged.

The brunette sat up, placing a hand on Piper's cheek. "I will be the best fucking birthing partner you could ask for. Even if that means watching ten more boring-ass videos."

She smiled and cradled her lover's cheek, mirroring Alex's position. "Ok."

They closed the gap between them and kissed more affectionately than they had minutes earlier when sex was on the brain.

"One book that I read suggested using music to help with breathing techniques," Piper offered.

"That sounds interesting."

"The author said that you should have a soundtrack ready for when you go into labor. She also said that most hospitals will let patients play music during the delivery."

"Huh." The brunette stood. "Have you chosen songs yet?"

"No." Piper glanced up at her. "Where are you going?"

"To get my iPod." Alex left the room, returning moments later with the iPod and a speaker. She returned to the sprawled position she'd been in a few minutes earlier, head on Piper's legs forming a _T_ with her body.

The couple spent the next hour, listening to songs and making mental notes about which ones had similar beats that Piper liked for stabilizing her breathing. Many of the tunes were from the 80s, but there were a few current hits that worked perfectly. Alex promised to make a playlist on both of their iPods in case they found themselves in a place when Piper went into labor where they only had one device. The brunette also promised to practice those breathing techniques with her partner at least once a week, even when Piper was back at college.

* * *

Piper eventually called her future supervisor, Sandy Pollard, at _Time_ and told her about her pregnancy. Sandy reacted the way any person would in that situation—congratulated her ad nauseam, and then got down to what her situation meant for Piper's job. She was to report to work on May 20 (graduation was on the 15th) instead of June 1, and she'd work until she either had the baby or her doctor ordered her to stay home. If everything went well with the delivery, Piper would take her paid three weeks of maternity leave and another week of short-term disability for a total of one month at home with the baby.

The question that floated around Piper's head more than how she'd handle her job was the logistics of where she and Alex would live.

"Have you been looking at apartments in Manhattan?" Piper adjusted her laptop so she could see Alex better through the Skype portal. She was counting down the days until they wouldn't need to video chat anymore.

"I looked at three." There was a long pause. "I'm just going to say it, Piper, there's no way we can afford to live in the City," she sighed. "The places I looked at were shitty, hole-in-the-wall studios that still cost $2,500 a month in the Bronx."

The blonde shook her head. "I can't live with my dad again."

She shrugged. "We don't really have a choice."

" _You_ , of all people, are telling me that you'd rather stay with _my dad_ than stretch a little to pay rent in our own place?" She folded her arms above her protruding belly.

"It's more than _a little stretch_!" Alex set her glasses on top of her head. "And what about childcare? Who's going to take care of the baby?"

"You think my dad or your mom would help out?" She lifted her brows at the audacity of such a thought. "I wouldn't dream of asking them."

"My mom already offered to work part-time so she could help," Alex replied.

"You asked her?"

"No, she _offered_." The brunette looked directly into the camera. "What were your plans for the baby when you go back to work?"

"I don't know," Piper replied with some amount of culpability. "I guess I figured we could find daycare."

"For a one-month-old?" It was Alex's turn to raise her eyebrows and let out a ludicrous laugh. "First of all, that's next to impossible, and second, it would be expensive as hell."

"How do you know that?"

"Because I researched it," Alex snapped. "I looked into every fucking possible daycare option in Harlem, the Bronx and Queens, and _we cannot do it_ …unless we go on government assistance, and I know how you'd feel about that."

A smile tugged at the corners of Piper's mouth. "You've done research?"

"Yes," she replied swiftly, expression still serious. "Not just on childcare, but on babies and all the shit that goes along with being new parents. There's a lot of crap I needed to know."

Piper never imagined that her girlfriend would embrace co-parenting since the meltdown in the Northampton OB/GYN Clinic parking lot just a couple of months earlier. She touched the screen, wishing she could feel her lover. "You did that for me?"

"For us, yes." She leaned closer towards the camera and spoke with sincerity. "I meant it when I said I'd try, babe."

The blonde's chin wrinkled as tears prickled in her eyes. She'd been quite emotional in her third trimester, so crying was a common occurrence.

Alex tilted her head. "Did you question that?"

"Maybe a little…" she sniffed. "I knew you meant it, but I didn't think you'd do research and stuff. You could've written me off when you found out I was pregnant."

Alex was silent for a moment, and Piper wondered if there was, in fact, a point when her lover might have written her off.

"I still don't know what kind of mom I'll be," the brunette replied, "But you're the one who wants to take me on. It's you, me and the kid for as long as you want me around."

Tears rolled down Piper's cheeks. "God, I wish I was with you right now."

"I know," she sighed. "Two more weeks."

They were silent for another minute while Piper wiped her face with a Kleenex and blew her nose.

"Better?" the brunette asked.

She nodded. "Did you talk to my dad about us living there for a little while?"

"No, but I will if you want me to." She pulled her glasses back on her face, shaking her head as her long, black hair fell into place.

"Yeah. Ok." She sniveled again. "I have to go to class. Thank you so much, Al. I'll talk to you this afternoon."

"Sounds good." Alex smiled.

Piper touched the screen again. "Have a good day."

"You, too, babe."

The blonde disconnected the Skype session and sighed. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew they wouldn't be able to afford an apartment in New York City, but she'd hoped beyond hope that Alex could find a way to make it work. Truth be told, Piper hadn't done much thinking about who would care for her infant after maternity leave—she had enough on her mind with school, her forthcoming job at _Time_ , and managing a long distance relationship.


	25. Chapter 25

If you're curious about my response to some guest reviews, pop on over to my tumblr account – saintsavory is the name.

* * *

Piper wasn't feeling well enough to walk at the graduation ceremony, and while her father was disappointed that he didn't see her in a cap and gown in person, she'd at least taken a few headshots that he could place in a frame on the mantle next to the dusty photo of Danny in his regalia.

Alex was thrilled to have her girlfriend back full-time, but she knew Piper had mixed feelings about being in her father's house. One thing that the brunette had done to make Piper feel like she was living in a house other than her father's was completely redecorated Danny's old room into _their_ bedroom. She only hoped that her lover would approve of her thrift shop finds and feel worlds away from her younger years in that house.

Alex had spent two months scouring Goodwill, Salvation Army, and another local second-hand store for the perfect dressers, nightstands, lamps, rug and headboard. She'd bought new sheets, throw pillows, and a duvet cover from the clearance rack at Macy's the week prior to Piper's arrival, and once it was all assembled, the bedroom looked like a page out of the West Elm catalogue.

Piper arrived back at her childhood home to a decent amount of fanfare from Diane, Cal and Alex. The older Vause had baked a chocolate cake and bought 10 helium balloons that read, "Congratulations Graduate." Cal presented her with a bouquet of flowers and bought her a card. Bill gave her a quick hug and peck on the cheek with a rather cold, _Welcome home, honey_. She didn't expect anything more from him, and if she had to guess, Piper assumed he was just as icy to Alex.

"I have a surprise for you," the brunette announced, squeezing Piper's hand.

"A surprise?" She put her hand on her hip and arched her back, wincing at the discomfort of her oversized belly.

Alex nodded. "Yeah." They walked down the familiar hallway hand-in-hand until they reached the last bedroom on the left. Alex opened the door and stood to the side. "Welcome home, babe."

She'd painted an accent wall the color of denim, while the others remained ivory. The straw-colored wooden dresser complimented the antique brass nightstands, and the bedding was a colorful zigzag comforter and throw pillows that added a pop of brightness to the room.

Piper stepped onto the plush, taupe rug with her mouth hanging open as she scanned the redesigned bedroom. "Who did this?"

"I did, silly," she let out a low, almost shy laugh. "There's this one really cool thrift store about a block away from my college, and I got most of it there, but I hit a bunch of second-hand stores to get a few things here and there." She stepped behind Piper, wrapping her arms around her shoulders. "Believe it or not, I furnished the entire room for less than $600."

"I can't believe you did this for me!" Piper turned in her arms, doing the best she could to hug her lover around her waist. She was a mere five weeks from her due date, and hugging was definitely a challenge.

Alex pulled back, hands on her girlfriend's upper arms. "I wanted you to come home to a place that felt a little different—more grown up."

"That was so thoughtful of you, Al. I _love_ it." She gave her a long peck on the lips before turning around and admiring the space again.

Alex couldn't help the proud grin that covered her own face.

"Perhaps we should christen the room right now?" Piper said between kisses.

They did just that, Alex making sure the bedroom door was latched, before making sweet love to Piper. She noted that the blonde's orgasms were still incredibly powerful and hoped that would carry on past Piper's pregnancy.

As they laid in bed, Alex rubbing Piper's protruding belly, the brunette sighed. "I wish I made more money to help with stuff."

Piper rotated her neck on the pillow to face her. "We'll be fine with my salary."

"Yeah, as long as we live in _this_ house." After giving the blonde a peck on the temple, she sat up, dangling her legs off the bed. "If I would've gone to college straight out of high school, I'd probably have a good job by now." Alex stood and threw on her vintage Eiffel Tower t-shirt. "Even if I would've stuck with modeling—that would've been a lucrative career for at least another year."

"And you'd be 3,000 miles away, Al!" Piper complained. "You can't change the past." She accepted the shirt that Alex handed to her and tossed it over her head. "Is this something you've been worrying about? Money, I mean."

"I guess." Alex stepped into a pair of worn jeans. "I have plans for the future, but _plans_ don't come with a fucking paycheck."

Piper struggled to pull on her maternity jeans, and Alex assisted her. "At least you're thinking about the future." It was the first time that Piper had _ever_ heard her lover talk about the future with a positive outlook, and it was music to her ears, but she dared not make a big deal about it.

The brunette ran a hand down the back of Piper's head and placed a kiss on her forehead. "There will be a time, Pipes, when I can help more financially, but for now, I want to at least help by taking care of the baby when you go back to work."

She lifted her eyebrows. "Really?"

"Not that I'm a qualified caregiver and all, but I thought I could take a CPR class and maybe do sort of a trial run while you're on maternity leave." She combed a hand through her dark locks. "I've watched my mom with kids over the years, you know, and she's really good with babies. I'm sure I can learn a thing or two from her."

The blonde smiled. "We both can."

"So, you'll let me do that—take care of him…or her a couple days a week?"

She kissed Alex square on the mouth. "That would make me incredibly happy."

"Good." She returned the kiss, and they were this close to having sex again, when Diane knocked on the door hoping to see the redesigned bedroom that her daughter had kept behind closed doors.

* * *

During the blonde's first week back, Alex helped Piper unpack as they discussed logistics of the baby's arrival as well as Piper's work schedule. She had no time to waste before she'd have to commute into the City for her job.

It was determined that Piper and her dad would carpool so that if she went into labor, he would be with her and able to deliver her to the nearest hospital. (It was Alex, not Bill, who'd made the suggestion, but weeks later, he acted as if he'd devised the plan and was quite proud of it.)

Diane was committed to working part-time after Piper's maternity leave was over, which meant that two days a week, she'd take care of the infant. Alex would watch the baby another two days when she didn't have morning classes. That left one day a week when they wouldn't have childcare, and the blonde was hoping beyond hope that her own mother would volunteer. The couple knew the arrangement was temporary until they could save enough money to afford daycare, which Alex assumed would be about six months after the child was born. The other hope was that they'd be able to move into a place of their own a year later.

Truth be told, Alex was nervous about everything from Piper's actual delivery to caring for the baby to what it would do to their relationship. She also remained concerned about Bill's coldness and hoped that he'd lighten up once the baby was in their lives. The one thoughtful thing that he'd done with Cal's assistance was clear out Piper's old bedroom. Bill had stored his children's old baby bed and dresser in the attic, and Alex & Piper were thankful that they at least had _some_ furniture for the child. They bought the rest of it from one of Alex's old high school friends who'd gotten knocked up right after high school and was looking to offload a diaper changing station, play pin and rocking chair.

With July just around the corner, Piper's doctor confirmed that her baby was healthy and ready to announce his or her presence to the world any day. Piper hadn't wanted to know the baby's gender, but as her delivery date approached, she became increasingly worried that she didn't have enough clothes for the infant. Alex promised that they'd buy another ten onesies just to be safe.

On a rainy, warm Saturday morning two weeks after she'd arrived in Greenwich, Piper decided that they should paint the nursery. The couple spent an hour at Home Depot, looking at paint samples and settling on a pale green.

Alex laid a plastic dropcloth across Piper's old bedroom floor. The blonde helped her lover tape the doorjamb and outlets as best as she could, but bending down proved difficult, so Alex had to do most of the prep work.

"Have you thought of any baby names?" The brunette asked, coating a rolling brush with green paint.

"A few have been rattling in my mind over the past couple of months." Piper plugged in her iPod so they could listen to the _labor playlist_ while they worked. "I thought we could come up with some together."

Alex grinned, touched at her lover's thoughtfulness.

She took the rolling brush from the brunette. "Have you thought of any?"

She _had_ , though she didn't want to admit it since she was unsure if Piper wanted her to take part in such a major decision. Over the past month, Alex had fallen asleep every night, thinking of baby names. Truth be told, she wanted Piper to choose the name so that the blonde would have no regrets months or years down the line if the name lost its original _umph_.

"Not really," Alex lied. "There are some that I like more than others."

"Like what?" She rolled the brush against the white wall.

"Tell me your list first—you've obviously thought about naming your kid more than I have."

Piper gave her a look, but Alex concentrated on painting the trim around the door.

"Well, if it's a girl, Sophia, Emma, Charlotte, Chloe or Ava." She paused to stretch her back. "If it's a boy, Jackson, Aiden, Riley or Noah."

Alex dipped her brush into the can. "Those are good names."

"But?" The blonde baited, handing the rolling brush to her girlfriend for another thick coat of paint.

"I don't know; they're all pretty traditional." She handed Piper the brush. "What about Petal or Sheba?"

"I'm sorry, _what_?" Piper raised her brows and a _you-must-be-kidding-me_ look formed on her face. "Sheba, as in _Queen of_?"

"What's wrong with that?" Alex shrugged, the corners of mouth turning upwards. "It's powerful."

Piper let out a singular chuckle. "You're trying to be funny, right?"

"A little, yeah. Look, Pipes," she sighed and stood. "This is _your_ child, and his or her name has to be meaningful to you—no one else matters."

"That's the second time you've referred to it as 'my child'." The blonde had trouble bending over to put the brush back in the paint tray, so she sort of tossed it in, making paint splatter. "And _you_ matter."

"I know, but…"

"Alex, this is _our_ baby," she interrupted, hand resting on her stomach. "It's impossible for us to get pregnant naturally, so to me, this is our chance at being parents to a child who we'll _share_."

Alex's eyes flicked away at the weight of Piper's stat. She nudged her glasses higher on the bridge of her nose.

The blonde took a step closer. "Tell me that's what you want."

"I want you," Alex said in a low, honest voice. "Right now."

Piper jutted her head back, confused by the turn of conversation. "Are you high on paint fumes?"

"No." She shook her head. "I want…" Alex paused, looking down before lifting her eyes to look directly into Piper's. "I want to pretend that we made this baby."

"If we could, we would." Piper stepped into her lover's space. "This child is as much mine as it is yours. I mean that."

Alex nodded, and Piper could sense her girlfriend grappling with the statement.

"Let's go to our room." Alex tugged her wrist.

Piper's eyes were that familiar stormy blue. "No, make love to me right here in our baby's bedroom."

"Our baby?" Alex repeated with a cautious smile.

Piper nodded. " _Ours_."

The brunette put both hands on either side of Piper's face and leaned forward to lock lips. After a moment, Alex broke the kiss and attempted to lighten the heaviness between them. "You want to do it on the plastic dropcloth?"

Piper nodded, lowering her body to the crinkly material.

The blonde's libido had been on overdrive for the duration of her pregnancy and showed no signs of letting up despite her oversized stomach and aching back. It didn't take much to turn her on instantly. Ever the one to please, Alex gave her lover what she wanted, diving between her legs to make Piper cum. It was that sort of _soul-connecting_ kind of sex that happened only once in a blue moon, nearly bringing tears to each woman's eyes.

As Piper belted out her lover's name as well as unintelligible orgasmic sounds, the brunette had to reach up to cover Piper's mouth as the forceful and piercing orgasm rumbled to the surface.

A minute later, the blonde's breathing returned to normal, and Alex kissed her way up Piper's body until they were eye to eye. "I love you."

Piper smiled and placed her fingertips gently on her lover's cheek. "I love you, too."

They stared into each other's eyes for a moment before the brunette broke the silence. "But you _have_ to be quieter, babe."

"It's so hard." She ran her hand through dark hair, kissing Alex on the forehead. "Especially when you do that sucking thing."

Alex knew the move her girlfriend was referring to and loved that there was always one particular thing that she did with her lips and tongue that would get Piper off every time.

"You like that, don't you?" She craned her neck to kiss the blonde on the mouth.

"Yes." Piper held her lover's chin with three fingers and leisurely kissed her full lips.

Alex combed Piper's hair out of her face, eyes looking off in the distance as if she had a profound thought. "What about Persephone?"

The blonde snorted. "I don't think so."

"Nile? Apple? Echo?" she tried.

"That's it—I'm convinced you're high on paint fumes," Piper replied through a thick chuckle.

The two remained in that position on the plastic covering, going through a list of male names, most of which Alex invented herself, until the dark haired woman finally pulled Piper to a standing position to go to their bedroom to take a nap.

Naming their child was an important task, but holding each other as they slept that afternoon was top priority.

* * *

Rather than alarming Piper with every shred of fear that surfaced, Alex reserved discussing her distress & apprehension about being a parent for her therapist. It wasn't until mid-June when she admitted to herself, _I can do this_. When those words finally hit home and felt _good_ , she'd made love to Piper and reassured her that they were in this together. It'd brought tears to the blonde's eyes, and Alex knew that her lover needed that kind of reassurance in her last trimester.

Alex decided that working 60+ hours per week until Piper had the baby would be a good way to earn extra income to pay for things like diapers, bottles, and baby clothes. Even though she was technically on the clock as the valet supervisor, she spent almost as much time in the kitchen with Chef Accardo. He'd welcomed her input on several dishes that he wanted to tweak on their lunch menu, and that month, he'd given her the opportunity to create one new, healthy dish for their weekend brunch menu.

"Other than fruit, what in the fuck is _healthy_ at brunch?" She complained. "It's all about the Eggs Benedict, if you ask me."

"That's the challenge." Chef Accardo stopped the blender and stuck a spoon inside to try his walnut pesto sauce. "We're putting it on the menu on tomorrow, so you better figure something out in the next 24 hours."

She hung her head and tried to get into a mental space that would allow her to think creatively about what would work, first, as a healthful option and second, at an Italian restaurant. Alex scanned the pantry and refrigerator, pulling items here and there until she had somewhat of a concept of where she wanted to take the dish.

She grabbed a cast iron skillet, and began sautéing onions & garlic. While that was cooking, she chopped fresh spinach and slow poached an egg. As her direction became clearer, Alex diced a tomato and layered the spinach in the skillet, followed by the tomatoes and three paper-thin slices of prosciutto. When the egg was done, she slid it on top and baked the dish for 10 minutes, and then put a generous amount of salt and pepper on top.

The brunette presented the dish to the chef. "What do you think?"

"Spinach and poached egg bake?" He cut into the egg with a fork. "The yoke is perfectly runny. Poaching an egg isn't as easy as it looks. Nice work." Chef Accardo tasted it. "Mmm. The tomato was a nice addition. I think it could benefit from more acid; maybe a little crunch. You're headed in the right direction."

She spent the next hour trying different combinations until it hit her: instead of dicing the tomato, she cut a thick round of a yellowish Heirloom and used that as the base for the spinach and egg. For crunch, she pan fried the prosciutto and used one slice instead of three, positioning it like a sailboat mast on top of the spinach.

"Try this." She scooted the plate towards Chef Accardo. "It's visually stunning." He picked up the prosciutto and bit into it, nodding his approval. The next bite, he cut into the tomato, dragging some spinach and egg along with it. Before popping the forkful into his mouth, he broke off another crunchy piece of pork. "Fuck, this is good."

Chef Accardo gave Alex a high five and called the line cooks over to try it. She got equal amounts of praise from them, which made her feel great about the way her dish turned out.

"Alex, um, I might've clipped the fence with this dude's car," came a shy voice from the swinging kitchen door. She recognized the kid as one of their newest valets.

"Fuck, back to reality." She washed her hands, and then turned to head out of the kitchen. "Hey, chef, thanks for letting me do this."

"My pleasure—you're a fast learner." He smiled.

She returned the smile, nervous about diners ordering her dish for brunch that weekend. What made butterflies swarm in her stomach even more was that her entire family was going to brunch the next day. Alex decided not to tell them about her creation, but she'd make sure that at least one of them ordered it.

* * *

The next morning, Piper realized that brunch at Salvatore's was probably the last opportunity she'd have to dine without needing a highchair next to the table. She wore the one fancy, green maternity dress she owned, hoping she didn't get indigestion the way she had the last time she ate rich, brunch food.

The entire crew piled into Bill's new Range Rover (which, he'd declared, was more for Piper's comfort than his own) and headed to the restaurant that held many, many memories.

Although Alex would need to work the evening shift, she'd taken the morning off to have brunch with her mom, Cal and Piper—the fact that Bill was there (and would pay) was only a minor annoyance.

"I don't think I've been to brunch here since the menu was update," Diane said, sipping a mimosa. "What's good, hon?"

"I've tried the Buckwheat pancakes with almond butter and the smoked salmon Eggs Benedict, and both are really good, but rich," Alex offered, hand wandering habitually to Piper's thigh. "But if you're looking for something healthier, the baked spinach with soft poached egg is ok. It's served on a juicy chunk of Heirloom tomato."

"That sounds perfect," Piper said, closing her menu and grinning at her girlfriend.

Cal shut his menu, too. "I'm having the Belgian waffle."

"Don't you ever want to branch out—try something different?" Piper asked.

He grinned. "Yeah, sis, that's a great idea. Let's add a side of Applewood smoked sausage."

Two weeks prior, Cal had graduated from high school and was headed to U Conn in the fall. He wasn't eager about studying in college, but he had grand plans to join the paintball team and crash frat parties.

"Good morning," Salvatore's son, Antonio greeted them. "Always lovely to welcome the Chapman family to our restaurant." He shifted his eyes to the brunette. "Alex, it's nice to see you _not working_ for a change."

She smiled. "It's nice to not be working this morning, Antonio, though I'll be here for evening service."

Piper grabbed her hand under the table and braided their fingers together.

Antonio and Bill made small talk while a server took their order. Both Diane and Piper ordered the special, Bill got the Eggs Benedict, and Alex chose a simple fruit bowl with homemade honey yogurt & blueberry granola.

After his second Bloody Mary, Bill raised his glass. "I'd like to propose a toast…To changes."

Although Piper didn't think it was the best toast, it wasn't offensive, and that was a victory in her mind. She clinked her flute of sparkling apple cider against her girlfriend's. "Cheers."

The family talked mostly about Cal's plans for the summer, and only once in a while did the conversation turn to Piper's impending delivery. The blonde looked like she could pop at any moment, but she was still working and having only a little difficulty getting around. Bending was the hardest task, and fortunately, she didn't have to do that often.

Their breakfasts came, and Piper raved about the spinach and poached egg. She loved the thick slice of tomato and the way it was seasoned, and Diane loved the crispy prosciutto on top. She gave Bill a bite, and even he thought it was appealing.

"You're right," he said, wiping his mouth. "That pork on top makes the dish."

Alex didn't participate in the conversation or want a bite, which the blonde found odd; instead, she sprinkled the blueberry granola on her fruit and yogurt.

A man in his chef whites came out the greet the family. "Hi, everyone. I'm Trevor Accardo. Not sure if you know this, but Alex here spends copious amounts of time in the kitchen with me."

The brunette's cheeks developed a rosy tint. "Chef…"

"It's too bad she doesn't want to be a cook, because she's got great technique," he interrupted, patting her on the shoulder. "In fact, this spinach dish is one that she created yesterday for our brunch menu."

All eyes turned to her, and she took a long sip of sparkling apple cider.

"Alex!" her mom gasped.

Piper put a hand on her arm. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"That's pretty cool." Cal smirked.

"If you didn't like it, I wasn't about to fess up," she replied, sliding her girlfriend's hand down to link with hers. "But I'm glad you do."

"It was quite good," Bill commented. "And now that I know you can do stuff like this that means more delicious food for me."

Alex smiled, but Piper could tell it was mostly fake. Her father and Alex still didn't gel, and the blonde didn't know if that would ever change.

Cal scratched his stubbly chin. "If you don't want to be a chef, what do you want to do?"

"I'm not exactly sure." The brunette turned to him. "But I've been talking to one of my professors about becoming a nutritionist."

"One of my friends who graduated with me at the CIA works for a nutritional consulting firm in Manhattan." The chef flung a towel over his shoulder. "She agreed to take Alex on as an intern as soon as she completes her four basic nutritional science courses."

"What else have you been hiding from us?" Her mom said with a slight grin.

"I need to make it through Piper's delivery before I can concentrate on me," she replied, still blushing at the attention.

The blonde leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. "As soon as this baby is out, I want you to focus on your career—if that's what you want."

Her father looked away—he hated public displays of affection between the lovers. That never stopped Piper and Alex from giving him a show.

"We'll see." Alex smiled.

"Why don't you introduce Piper to the cooks? I know they'd love to meet your other half," Chef Accardo said.

The blonde looked at her lover with an eager expression.

"Yeah, ok. As soon as we're done with our meals."

With that, the chef returned to the kitchen, and Bill surprisingly congratulated Alex again on such a successful dish. Diane went on and on about how skilled her daughter was in the kitchen, and Piper could tell that her girlfriend was not entirely comfortable with the praise.

Immediately after brunch, Alex took Piper into the kitchen to meet the cooks. They "ooh'd" and "ahh'd" over her pregnant belly. Most of the cooks spoke very little English, but Alex could communicate with them quite successfully in Spanish. Hearing her lover speak another language turned Piper on. She was already turned on by Alex's career plan and imagined what she'd look like in business attire.

There was no doubt what they were going to do the minute they got back home.

* * *

Note: The story ends at Chapter 28, and it can't be soon enough for me. I'll post the rest of it between today and tomorrow.


	26. Chapter 26

As a belated celebration of Alex's return to the States, Nicky & Lorna decided to host a homecoming party at their meager apartment on a Saturday night. Although Piper was only two weeks away from her due date, she pressured Alex into accepting the invitation. _"Besides,"_ Piper had said somewhat jokingly, _"This might be the last time we have fun without having to hire a babysitter."_

Piper RSVP'd for the both of them, ensuring that they could spend the night at Nicky's apartment. She wanted her lover to enjoy herself instead of working, going to class and worrying about the details of the baby's birth. Alex agreed to attend the party on the condition that they map out two of the nearest hospitals on the off-chance that Piper went into labor.

It wasn't that Piper _wasn't_ worried about her water breaking early—that was somewhat of a concern—but she refused to let the possibility deter her from living her life as fully as she could before the child arrived and turned their world upside down.

Only a handful of people attended the party, but one of Alex's old grade school friends had brought a karaoke machine, which allowed the group to entertain themselves thoroughly. Piper performed a terrible rendition of _Pour Some Sugar on Me_ , leaving the crowd gasping for breath with belly laughs when she tried gyrating her hips with her bulging belly.

Just after midnight, and without any booze to fuel the request, Alex demanded that they sing Train's, _I'm About to Come Alive_. She introduced it as their "labor song," and Piper gave her a sharp look. "That was supposed to be between us," she whispered after belting out the tune.

"But it's such a great song," Alex said in a hushed tone, kissing her hard on the side of the mouth. "You're going to deliver our baby to it."

It was only the second time Alex used the word, _our_ , to describe the infant, and Piper couldn't help but beam at the fact that her girlfriend _finally_ appreciated that the child wouldn't be just hers.

They watched Nicky and Lorna try to do a duet to _Islands in the Stream_ , and Piper laughed so hard that tears gathered in her eyes. After another hour of karaoke, the four other guests left, and Nicky helped Alex set up the futon.

"You sure you two don't want to take our bed? It might be more comfortable for Piper," Lorna asked, fluffing a pillow and dropping it onto the futon.

"No, thank you," Piper rubbed her enormous belly. "I like a hard mattress, so this will do just fine. I might need a little help lowering my body though."

Alex rushed to her side, helping her girlfriend sit. "Good?"

She nodded. "Thank you for throwing the party. It was a lot of fun."

"Yeah, it was." Nicky walked towards the bedroom. "Still can't carry a tune, Vause."

"Neither can you, jackass," the brunette chuckled.

"Sleep well," Lorna said, patting Piper on the head. "And wake us up if you need anything."

"We will."

The couple crawled into bed, and after a quick kiss and a couple of exhausted sighs, Piper fell fast asleep. She had no idea how long she'd dozed off when she felt something strange in bed.

"Alex?" The blonde tapped her foot against her lover's leg, which was scissored between her own. "Hey, Al?"

"Hmm?" Alex mumbled but didn't budge.

Piper propped herself up on her elbows. " _Alex_!"

The urgency of her tone forced the brunette to open her eyes and squint at her girlfriend. She removed the arm that was flung over her forehead and pushed herself into a semi-seated position. "What's wrong?" Alex felt something wet under her thigh. "Why's the mattress wet?"

Piper's eyes were as round as saucers as she shot Alex a troubled look. "I think my water broke."

"Fuck!" She jumped out of bed, turned on the lamp on a side table and glanced at the large spot between the blonde's legs. "Are you sure it isn't just pee?"

"I didn't urinate on myself, asshole!" Piper whispered loudly.

"Ok, we can do this." Alex tossed her hair over both shoulders, and then reached for Piper. "Can you stand?"

"I think so." She scooted to the edge of the futon, her oversized t-shirt gathering around her upper thighs with the movement.

Alex grabbed the blonde's forearms to help her. "Does it hurt?"

Piper shook her head. "No, not really. Just uncomfortable. Wait a minute." She doubled over. "Owww!"

"You're having contractions. Ok…Ok." Alex squeezed her arms, and then released them before jogging down the hallway. "Stay here, babe."

"Alex!" She cried. "Ouch. Ow, ow, ow!"

"Nicky!" The brunette yelled from the bathroom. "Piper's water broke. We have to get to the hospital." She sprinted back into the living room with a towel and flung an arm over the blonde's back. "You're going to be fine."

Piper had removed her underwear and used the towel to wipe her legs. "This is so embarrassing."

"Don't worry about Nicky and her fucking sheets!" Alex ordered. "You're about to have a baby. _Concentrate on you_. Let's walk to the car. Can you do that?"

She nodded, grabbing her belly with one hand and Alex's arm with the other.

"Yo, College, you ruined my futon?" Nicky teased, rubbing her eyes as she made it into the living room.

Alex shot her an evil glare, but the blonde smiled as best she could. "It was time for a new mattress anyway. This one smells like beer and weed."

"And now vaginal discharge," the wild-haired woman replied, flicking on the main light switch.

Lorna rushed to Piper's side. "You ok, sweetie?"

"It hurts," Piper's expression was somewhere between pain and worry.

Alex threw whatever items she could find into her duffle bag, and then hoisted it over her shoulder. Nicky handed her Piper's bag, which she strapped like a messenger bag across her chest.

"I need the music," the blonde requested between deep breaths.

Alex lifted her eyebrows. "Right now?"

"Yes! I told you, Alex." She walked her girlfriend to the staircase leading out of the building. "I have to listen to the playlist to concentrate on my breathing."

"Ok," she sighed, ruffling through a side pocket in her duffle bag for her iPod. "Fuck, I forgot headphones."

The blonde gave her a sharp look.

"Hang on, I think there's a speaker in here." She held onto her lover's shoulder with one hand while the other rooted through the other side pocket. "This will have to do." She handed the devices to Nicky, who paired the speaker and iPod. "Can you walk a little more?"

"Press play," Piper demanded as she walked down the steps.

The dark haired woman did as she was told and didn't give a fuck about the music that she was about to blast in the street.

Cameo's _Word Up_ came on, and Piper's lips tugged upwards. "Sing it with me."

"Yo, pretty ladies around the world..." Alex began with an uneasy smile. "Breathe, babe."

Piper's breathing aligned with the song as she sang every other word and inhaled or exhaled on the other words.

Lorna had a hand on her back, trying her best to assist the pregnant woman to the car. "Do you want me to come with you?"

"I can drive," Nicky commented from a few steps away.

"No, I think we're good…There you go." Alex forced Piper to shuffle forward until they were in front of her BMW. "Wave your hands in the air like you don't care," the brunette sang, looking Piper in the eye. She could feel the stares of the few late night passers-by on the street, but they weren't her concern. Alex opened the car door, and with Lorna's help, gently lowered her girlfriend inside as Piper had another contraction. She ran to the driver's side and hopped into the car.

"Be brave!" Lorna called.

"We'll come to the hospital a little later to meet the newest addition to your all-American, wholesome family," Nicky called.

Ignoring Nicky, Alex reached for the blonde's left hand and brought it to her mouth, kissing the back of it. "Just focus on your breathing, Pipes."

Piper nodded as _Brass Monkey_ blasted through the speaker. She sang the lyrics until another contraction forced her to stop and double over in pain.

Alex clenched her jaw. Unbeknownst to Piper she'd done three trial runs from Nicky's apartment to the hospital a few days prior to the party. The longest it had taken her was 18 minutes, and the quickest was 12.

"It hurts," Piper said between gritted teeth.

"Let's sing." Alex sang the chorus with her girlfriend, but she could sense that this little game that Piper had devised wasn't going to last long.

By the time they arrived at the hospital, Piper's contractions were two minutes apart. Alex kissed her on the side of the head, squeezed her hand, and then ran into the Emergency Room to find a doctor.

* * *

 _Concentrate on breathing_ , Piper repeated to herself for what felt like the hundredth time. What was taking so long? Did Alex leave her? She had an irrational fear that her lover would leave during delivery. She'd told that to the brunette a week ago, and Alex had pursed her lips and laughed at how irrational she was being, finishing with, " _Never, babe_."

"Alex!" she called from the front seat of her car, grimacing in pain.

The passenger door flung open, and an orderly stood behind a wheelchair. "You ready for a ride?"

Between the large Samoan man and Alex, they managed to get Piper into the wheelchair and whisk her into the ER. She traveled down a long hallway, contracting once during the ride and clutching her girlfriend's hand until she was convinced she'd broken a bone.

She looked up at Alex with worried eyes. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" The brunette had settled into a light jog to keep up.

"Squeezing so hard." Piper rubbed her belly with her free hand.

"Don't worry about it." Her girlfriend grinned. "If you break a bone, we're in the right place."

This caused the blonde to chuckle, which led to another contraction.

They arrived in a small room, and two nurses swooped in to take her blood pressure, temperature and other vitals. They asked all sorts of questions that Alex mostly handled. Piper couldn't concentrate on anything other than the sound of Alex's voice and the pain in her abdomen. Piper didn't feel grounded—as much as she'd planned for this moment, everything felt out of control.

A doctor entered the room, pulling latex gloves over his fingers. "Somebody having a baby?"

"Where's my doctor?" Piper asked as the nurses somehow changed her out of her clothes and into a hospital gown.

Although Piper had only been back from Smith for a little over a month, she'd gone to an OB/GYN in Greenwich four times, and she'd already developed a bond with her doctor.

One nurse put an extra pillow behind her head and another did something with an IV drip that wasn't hooked up yet.

"She's probably at home, recovering from a Saturday night hangover," the curly haired male doctor joked.

Alex let out a low laugh, and the blonde stared up at her as if the sound of her laughter was offensive.

The doctor examined Piper's nether regions. "Your doctor is Pattie Lichton?"

"Yes," the blonde panted, reaching for Alex.

"She's an old friend." He spent more time than Piper liked between her legs, but she knew she'd have to let go of her modesty quickly. "You should've seen her last night. She was a karaoke fool."

"We did karaoke last night, too," Alex replied, brushing her hand over Piper's sweaty forehead. "Piper _killed_ a Def Leppard song."

He lifted his head and looked at the blonde. "You sing?"

"Only when forced," she offered, shifting her butt on the bed as she felt his fingers or an instrument, she wasn't sure which one, inside of her. "I don't know you. And why are you so…nonchalant? I'm in serious pain and about to deliver a fucking baby, and you're talking about karaoke? I want Dr. Lichton."

Alex accepted a cool, damp washcloth from a nurse and patted her girlfriend's forehead. "He's just trying to distract you, babe."

"Well, I hate to break it to you, but you're going to have this baby before Pattie is even out of bed this morning." The doctor rolled his stool across the small room and removed his gloves. He nodded to a nurse before turning his attention back to Piper. "My name is Rick, and I'm going to take good care of you and your baby, Ms. Chapman."

Piper let out a whimper, but when she looked up at her girlfriend to see a beautiful smile forming on her face, she couldn't help the minuscule grin that surfaced. _This was happening_ , whether she was ready or not.

The doctor stood in front of a computer in the room and read her electronic file. He clicked the mouse a few times. "I understand music is key to this delivery."

Alex clutched her lover's hand and looked at him. "Are you actually a doctor?"

"Yeah, but you don't have to call me _doctor_. Rick is fine." He stepped away from the computer and extended his hand to the brunette. "You must be Alex Vause."

She wrinkled her forehead. "How do you know that?"

"Ms. Chapman is part of the Alliance Healthcare Network, and our patient files are online, which serves them well, especially in cases like this." He smiled and glanced at the blonde, who was between contractions. "You graduated from Smith about a month ago? Congratulations. My sister went there a few years ago—history major. Great place."

"Sorry, you're just...unconventional," Alex sighed.

"Sure am." He patted the blonde's shoulder but looked at the brunette. "As are the two of you."

Piper looked at Alex, and then at Rick. "You can deliver our baby."

"Good. Now that that's settled, let's get you into a more appropriate room." He moved out of the way as an orderly got behind the bed, released the brakes and started rolling her down the hallway and out of the Emergency Room.

"Oh, Ms. Vause, you'll need to scrub in if you want to be in the delivery room."

The blonde creased her forehead and looked up at Alex. "I don't want her to leave me."

"If you want Alex to be present for the birth, I'm afraid she has to be sterile," Rick stated.

She nodded hesitantly.

"I won't miss a thing, I promise." Alex kissed and then released her hand and followed a nurse to some other part of the hospital annex.

Piper arrived in a private room, and she looked around at all of the contraptions. She didn't like the metal tray with tools on it that was loosely covered with a blue napkin-like sheet, nor did she appreciate the industrial-looking lights that weren't on yet, but feared they'd all be pointed at her vagina. "Al?" she whispered.

"I'm Nurse Kendra Marshall." The nurse hooked her up to some machine or another. "Your partner will be here in just a minute. She asked me to play your music."

"Yes, thank you." Piper contracted again, realizing that they were about a minute apart.

"Let me see that thing." Rick breezed in and grabbed the iPod from the side of the bed. "Do you have a playlist?"

"It's just one song. Loop it." Piper grimaced as the strongest contraction rolled through her. "Ugh, it hurts."

"Try not to push," the nurse said, rubbing her arm. "You're gonna have plenty of time for pushin' in the next hour."

She shook her head vigorously. "I don't want to do this."

"You don't want to have this baby?" Nurse Marshall chuckled. "I got news for you, honey, you don't have of a choice."

"I need Alex!" She yelled. Piper could feel the vein in her neck poking out.

"What's the song?" Rick asked. "And she'll be here any minute."

"Train... _I'm About to Come Alive_ ," she breathed, tears starting to roll down her cheeks. "God, I've never been in this much pain!"

"I know it hurts, boo." The nurse dabbed Piper's forehead with a clean, cool towel. "At least you get a baby at the end."

Alex rushed into the delivery room, clad in all blue scrubs, a blue hat and a white mask. The blonde smiled as best as she could at her appearance—the only way she knew it was Alex was because of her gait and her glasses.

The brunette grabbed her lover's hand. "You ready for this, babe?"

Rick reviewed a few more things on the computer, gave orders to Nurse Marshall, and then put on a fresh pair of latex gloves and mask.

"No!" Piper shouted. "This fucking sucks so much! Owww!"

"I know it does." The brunette kissed her forehead, allowing her lips to linger. "Breathe through the pain—just like the videos taught you."

Pat Monahan began singing, and Piper tried to focus on the feeling of Alex's lips on her skin and the singer's silky voice.

"Great band. _Drops of Jupiter_ is one of my go-to karaoke songs." Rick positioned himself between her legs. "You're doing great, Piper. When I tell you to push, I want you to really go for it, ok?"

"What about the epidural?" Piper asked with heavy concern.

"This will all be over before we'd have time to give it to you," Rick said. "You can do this, Piper. I believe in you, and Alex believes in you."

She nodded as sweat and tears mingled down her face and between her breasts. Piper looked up at her lover. "You're carrying the next one."

"Yes." Alex kissed her soundly on the lips. "Yes, I will _absolutely_ carry the next one."

Despite her pain, Piper turned her head to face the brunette. "Are you open to another one?"

"I'll have ten kids with you if that's what makes you happy, Pipes." Alex said with a wide grin and adoring eyes. "Let's concentrate on this one for now, ok?"

The blonde brought Alex's hand to her mouth and pressed her lips against her wrist. Piper tried channeling her pain into the kiss and felt a string of tears ripple down her cheeks.

"You're doing great, babe." A tear escaped Alex's eye and landed on her girlfriend's chest.

"I don't know if I can do this." Piper was fully crying now, and the sobs sounded frightening and desperate even to her own ears.

"You _can_ and you _will_." Alex punctuated her statement with her eyebrows. "Don't worry about what's going on down there. I want you to focus on me."

"Alright, Piper, give me a good push," the doctor said.

"You look at me, Piper," Alex demanded, ripping the mask away from her mouth. "Push, and look at me!"

She did as she was told, concentrating on Alex's face and the music blaring in the room.

 _No one knows what we've been through_

 _Making it, ain't making it without you._

"You are the hottest, smartest, most spectacular woman in this whole fucking world," Alex stated, brushing Piper's wet hair back. "And you can do anything, including this."

Piper squeezed her eyes shut as she clutched her lover's hand. "I don't feel beautiful right now."

"Are you kidding me?" Alex let out a chuckle. "The way you're straining right now...you're turning me on, babe."

The blonde felt a laugh in her throat, knowing Alex was just saying that to distract her.

"We're getting close, Piper. Another good push." The doctor took something from a nurse, then disappeared between her legs again.

" _Don't give up on me, I'm about to come alive_ ," Alex sang, brushing her fingertips over her cheek. "Look at me, babe."

The blonde nodded as she completed that last push, looking her girlfriend directly in the bespectacled eyes. Somehow she found peace in that last effort, and all she could see was the hazel eyes she'd succumbed to six years ago. When they had sex, Piper found herself focusing on those very eyes—eyes she'd come to trust without question. If Alex told her the world was flat, she'd believe it.

"I love you," the dark haired woman whispered, grasping Piper's hand. "You can do this."

The sound of a baby's cries filled the air. Both women turned their heads abruptly towards the doctor, who in one swoop, slowly brought an infant into focus.

"Hey, little girl," Rick said, holding her up for the women to see. "Meet your mommies."

Tears streamed down Piper's cheeks, and she glanced at Alex, whose glasses were completely fogged as tears ran under her black frames.

"Can you see her?" The blonde asked through sobs.

Alex released her lover's hand and threw her glasses to the side in one, quick motion before taking her hand again. "She's beautiful."

The doctor handed the child to a nurse. "You'll get to hold her in just a minute. Let me finish up down here."

The women fused their foreheads as their tears melded together.

"You did it, babe!" Alex laughed through a wet sob.

"We did it." Piper brought a trembling hand to her girlfriend's cheek. " _We_ did it, Al. We're parents!"

A few minutes later, Nurse Marshall brought a swaddled baby to them. "Here she is, and she's lookin' good!"

"She's healthy?" Piper asked, reaching for the infant.

"A healthy 7 pounds, 3 ounces," the nurse smiled.

The blonde cradled the infant, pushing the pink blanket away from her innocent face. Alex reached down to touch her reddened cheeks.

"Holy fuck," the brunette breathed. "We have a kid!"

"Hi, baby," Piper whispered. "Welcome to our world." She glanced up at her lover, noticing tears still streaming down her face.

Alex placed a long, thick kiss on her lover's lips. "You're so fucking awesome."

"So is this one." Piper rocked the baby a bit, and the infant stopped crying. "Do you want to hold her?"

"Yeah." Alex reached out, and the nurse demonstrated what she should do.

"Hi, little one. _Hi_." The brunette bounced around a bit. "I'm your other mommy. I hope that's alright with you."

The doctor re-entered the room, all cleaned up. "I'm sure it'll be great with her." He stood next to the bed. "You guys were like pros. Seriously, great job. Congratulations."

"Thank you so much, Rick," Piper said, wiping the tears off her face. "I'm sorry Dr. Lichton couldn't be here, but you made this easy...almost."

He squeezed her shoulder. "I'll give her a call. I wasn't kidding when I said she's hungover."

Both women chuckled.

"Thanks, Rick." Alex shook his hand with her free one. "We can't wait to share this nugget with the world."

Nurse Marshall took the infant away as another nurse inserted an IV into Piper's arm. There was a lot of commotion going on in the room, but Piper didn't care. She had a baby. _She had a fucking baby._


	27. Chapter 27 The End

Instead of posting two shorter chapters, I've combined them into one long one, so this is the end of Roots & Wings. **The final chapter is rated M for Mature**. Thanks to my beta, Nicki, once again, and thank you to those of you who continued reading this story until the end and found some joy in it. I don't anticipate writing anything in this fandom again, but if S4 inspires me, I'll pick up the pen again.

* * *

Alex had no idea what time it was when she woke up to a crying baby in her lover's arms. She jolted up and reached for the infant. "I'm sure this won't be the first time this one will wake me up from a deep sleep."

Piper chuckled. "I'm afraid not."

"Have you slept at all?" The brunette took the infant into her arms and stood.

The blonde yawned. "A little. I'm sore."

Alex wiggled her eyebrows. "Want me to make it better?"

"Alex!" She chastised her girlfriend with a slight grin. "We have to name her, you know."

They'd tossed around names a couple of weeks ago, but they hadn't settled on one in particular.

"She's not a Chloe," the brunette said, looking down at the baby. "Or a Charlotte."

"Well, she's definitely not a Maika. That was too Asian anyway."

Alex shot her a look. "Don't be racist."

Piper rolled her eyes. "What about Elizabeth?"

"No." The dark haired woman lifted the infant closer to her face, basking in the sweet smell of powder. "What about Matilda?"

"Matilda?" Piper extended her arms, reaching for the baby. That wasn't a name they'd discussed. "Where did you come up with that?"

Alex handed her over. "I don't know. It just came to me."

"Matilda?" The baby's eyes barely blinked, and her head shifted. "Tilly?"

"That's a bad ass name." Alex sat next to them, tucking the blanket under the infant's tiny arm.

"You think 'Tilly' is bad ass?" Piper grinned.

"Damn straight." She lifted the baby girl's chin. "Isn't that right, Tilly?"

She swore the baby nodded. "Look! She agrees."

Piper's eyes never left her lover's face. "Then, Matilda it is."

Alex's eyes finally met hers. "Just for the record, you're a badass, too."

"Me?" She looked down at their child, rocking her a bit.

"Yeah, you." The brunette chuckled. "You kicked ass during the delivery."

Piper laughed and immediately held her stomach. "Ugh, that hurt. Don't make me laugh, Al."

"We intend on making you laugh for the rest of our lives." She kissed the infant's forehead. "Isn't that right, Tilly?"

The baby girl let out a small sound, leaving the women with looks of amazement.

"She's already got you wrapped around her finger," the blonde whispered, running her hand over the baby's bald head.

"That will never change," Alex replied in a similar tone. She kissed whatever part of her girlfriend's body that she could reach, which happened to be her shoulder. "I'm so proud of you, babe."

Piper touched Alex's cheek. "Thank you."

"Get some sleep." Alex took the infant from her arms and walked away, hoping that her lover would be able to sleep if only for a few hours.

* * *

Piper had delivered the baby just after 3 a.m., and by 9 o'clock the next morning, her family showed up at the hospital.

The blonde knew Diane would be overcome with emotion when she met Matilda for the first time, but she had no idea what to expect when her father saw the baby. She watched intently when Diane handed Tilly off to Bill.

"Hi," he whispered, holding the infant up high, directly across from his face. He pulled her closer, one hand behind her wobbly neck. "Welcome to the world, little Chapman."

Piper glanced at Alex, who appeared to be ready to pounce if Bill said anything inappropriate. The dark haired woman seemed to be pleased with Bill's reaction, so she continued telling her mom and Cal about her lover's water breaking and the car ride to the hospital. Every other minute though, Alex flicked her eyes in Bill's direction.

"She's perfect," her father said with watery eyes. "Absolutely perfect."

"She is." The blonde smiled and shifted in the hospital bed. She was exhausted, and the pain meds had worn off considerably.

Bill glanced at his daughter. "She has your nose."

Again, she smiled and hoped beyond hope that Matilda would bring her father and her closer together.

Bill passed the infant to Cal, who had no clue how to handle a baby. They all laughed at Cal's attempt to soothe the now crying child until Alex took Tilly from him.

"It's ok, Cal, you'll get the hang of it," Diane said, patting her step-son on the back.

"I don't mind holding her, but I can't change shitty diapers." He shoved his hands in his pockets.

Alex tapped her elbow against Cal's ribs. "I don't want that job either."

"Too bad," Bill commented. "It's part of being a parent."

Piper's eyes found Alex's and they both grinned at the comment. It was the first time Piper's dad made any reference to both of them being parents, and the blonde was shocked that he'd acknowledged it.

"You won't even mind changing dirty diapers after a while." Diane put her arm around her daughter's waist. "You're both gonna fall in love with Matilda so much that even the smell of her shit won't bother you."

"Gross," Cal replied. "Speaking of poo, I think she just soiled herself."

A nurse walked in and greeted the family, announcing that it was time for the new mom and child to get some rest. She whisked the infant out of Alex's arms and showed the brunette for the second time how to change a dirty diaper.

They all hugged Piper, giving her words of congratulations and encouragement before piling out and promising to drop by the next day.

"That went better than expected," Alex said, sitting next to Piper with their freshly changed baby.

"I know." She reached out and put a hand on Matilda's little head. "I didn't expect my dad to call us _both_ parents."

She looked down at the baby. "Tell me about it."

"It's time to feed her," the nurse said, propping Piper's back up with an extra pillow. "We won't worry about modesty right now." She helped Piper open her gown as Alex handed Tilly to her lover.

"Your boobs are still huge," Alex commented with a smirk.

The nurse glanced up at her. "They're going to be big until Matilda is finished nursing."

"Good news for both of us, right Tilly?" Alex whispered, smirk still firmly in place. She brushed Piper's hair behind her ear.

" _Alex_ ," Piper complained in a soft voice.

As Matilda latched onto Piper's nipple, Alex stood close by with her hand on the blonde's head.

"You're doing great," the nurse commented. "Got her?"

She nodded and watched her daughter suck on her nipple and make little mewing sounds. Piper looked up at her girlfriend with awe. "I can't believe I made her."

The brunette kissed her on the lips. "She's perfect. I'm so proud of you."

"I can't wait to be her mom with you," Piper sniffed.

Alex gave her a toothy grin. "Me, too, babe."

* * *

The delivery was easy compared to the breast feeding. Tilly didn't take to her mom's nipple easily, so they had to bring in a lactation specialist. Three weeks later, Tilly found as much pleasure in her mother's boob as her other mom did.

"I ordered Chinese food," Alex called from the other room.

"I hope you got Moo Goo Gai Pan!" She yelled over a wailing infant.

The brunette reentered the room with a stack of folded clothes. "I can't _wait_ for that craving to end."

"What if it never does?" She lifted her eyebrows.

"It has to—there's no way one person can eat Moo Goo Gai Pan four times a week for the rest of her life." Alex set the clothes on a side chair and took the crying infant from her lover's arms. "Isn't that right, Tilly?"

The baby stopped crying as Alex rocked her in her arms.

Piper separated their clothing into different drawers. "Maybe your mom can watch Matilda while we have a nice, quiet meal together."

"I'm sure she'd love that." The brunette plopped into the rocking chair and stared at the tiny bundle of joy.

Piper smirked as she shoved a pair of Alex's black, boy shorts into the drawer. "And maybe we can have sex."

Alex's eyes shot open. "Yes, please."

They hadn't fucked in over a month, not for Alex's lack of trying, but because Piper just couldn't get in the mood. The brunette understood her lover's frame of mind and respected her wishes to refrain from sexual activity until Piper was ready, but it wasn't easy.

The blonde eyed her girlfriend up and down. "I thought you might like that suggestion."

Alex rocked their daughter as Tilly slowly closed her eyes. "I hate that I'm bringing this up," she whispered. "But I thought you had to wait, like, six weeks before you could have sex?"

"You can't _penetrate_ me," the blonde replied. "But it's perfectly safe for me to receive oral sex if you focus on my clit."

"I would be _happy_ to focus on your clit." She smirked.

"In fact, maybe we can do it right now." Piper bent down to kiss her girlfriend on the mouth. "Is Tilly asleep?"

Alex nodded as she handed Matilda to Piper, who placed her in the bassinet next to their bed.

The blonde turned on the musical mobile that dangled over the bassinet, locked the door, and met Alex in the middle of the room. Their kisses started out light, but it didn't take long for them to become hungry. Alex's hands trailed up her girlfriend's shirt and covered her full breasts. She was rewarded with a deep moan.

Piper grabbed her lover's ass, forcing her backwards until they were standing next to the bed. Alex sat on the lip of the bed, while Piper removed her own clothing. "Take it off, Vause."

The brunette did as she was told, and they were both naked and all over each other in less than a minute. Piper's hand travelled down her lover's stomach to her center, and Alex arched up as soon as she felt her nimble fingers enter her folds. She allowed Piper to explore her pussy while she took one of the blonde's nipples into her mouth. The nipple tasted sweet, and Alex couldn't get enough. She didn't want to suck too hard for fear of milk coming out, but she used just enough pressure to please both of them.

Piper inserted two fingers into her lover's wet pussy, pumping them in and out while rubbing her clit with the pad of her thumb. "You feel good."

Alex moaned, and the blonde continued her motion and leaned down to kiss her lover. Piper looked into Alex's eyes with deep desire. "I want you to cum for me."

With that, Alex exploded into an intense, rolling orgasm. She sighed and whimpered and repeated Piper's name several times as her back arched into her lover's hand.

Alex panted as Piper removed her fingers from her center. The blonde brought her wet digits to her own mouth and sucked Alex's juices off. "You taste good, too."

Alex smirked, becoming aroused once again at watching her lover suck her fingers. "I want to taste you."

Piper rolled onto her back, but not before kissing Alex's tits along the way. The brunette placed a string of open-mouthed kisses down her girlfriend's chest, stomach and inner thigh. She opened Piper's pussy and looked inside.

"Does it look ok?"

Alex placed a kiss just above her opening. "It looks fucking delicious." She swirled her tongue on Piper's clit, relishing in the familiar taste of her lover. She was sure to be gentle as she sucked the small nub, using only her tongue and lips to pleasure Piper.

"Just like that, Al!"

Her tongue circled the blonde's bud relentlessly, and Piper's hands flew to her girlfriend's head, holding it firmly against her. "Right there…yeah! God, Alex…I'm cumming, ah!"

The brunette rode out Piper's orgasm, wishing she could move her mouth to her lover's opening to taste her more fully, but respecting that she'd have to wait another two weeks for such pleasure. When the orgasm subsided, Alex kissed her way back up to Piper's mouth.

Piper flung an arm over her forehead. "Fuck, that was good."

"Yeah, it was." Alex chuckled, reaching absentmindedly for her hand. "Especially with _Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star_ repeating in the background."

The blonde snorted. "I definitely saw stars, so I suppose it's apropos."

She rolled onto her side and pecked Piper's shoulder. "I thought you said you could program that thing to play like a hundred different songs."

Piper twisted her neck to place a kiss on top of her lover's head. "That hasn't exactly been a priority, Al."

"Mmm," she mumbled. "I'll ask Cal to figure it out before he leaves for college."

"Just make sure he doesn't come in our room smelling like a fucking pot shop."

"Ok," Alex chuckled, passing her hand across her girlfriend's now flat stomach. "Ready for round two?"

The blonde gave her a look. "Really? Already?"

Alex blinked heavily. "I want you to lick me."

Piper smirked. "Then climb aboard."

"What, are you a train conductor?" She straddled Piper's face with her legs, lowering her pussy onto her lover's eager mouth.

The blonde grabbed hold of her ass, pulling her closer as she ate Alex's pussy with gusto. "I've been meaning to ask if you'd be into role playing, but a train conductor isn't the first profession to pop into my mind."

The brunette bucked her hips forward and tossed her head back as she rode Piper's face, all talk of trains vanishing from her mind. One look down at her girlfriend chomping on her pussy sent her over the top. "Oh, babe! Yeah, ungh, Piper, fuck me! Yeah!"

Piper continued mouthing her center and sucking the tender skin while Alex finished the orgasm and her hips stopped moving. She moved back, essentially sitting on the blonde's chest, and looked at Piper's glistening mouth and chin.

"Oh, my God, that was fucking amazing."

Piper licked as far down on her chin as she could. "I love when you ride me like that."

"Why don't I return the favor?" She lifted one leg over Piper's chest and laid flat on her back, crooking her finger. "Come here."

"You're insatiable," Piper giggled but did as she was told.

"Look who's talking! You were like a fucking nymphomaniac for the duration of your pregnancy!"

Matilda made a noise, and both women's eyes darted to the slumbering baby.

"She's fine. We'll be quick," Alex said as Piper's pussy hovered over her mouth.

"I miss doing this with you," the blonde confessed, lowering her center to her lover's lips. She reached back and toyed with Alex's nipples.

"You're not the only one," she replied between initial licks.

Alex let her lover ride her face the way she'd done moments earlier and was rewarded five minutes later with a loud, powerful orgasm reminiscent of the ones Piper'd had in her second trimester.

Just as the blonde completed her orgasm, Matilda started crying. "Impeccable timing, kid." She hopped off Alex's face, kissing her mouth firmly and whispering, _I love you_ , before retrieving their daughter.

* * *

Piper's maternity leave came and went in a flash, and she had an extremely difficult time going back to work and leaving Matilda at home. Her only saving grace was that the infant was in good hands with Diane and Alex.

What shocked the hell out of the couple was who volunteered to take care of Tilly on Thursdays: none other than Bill Chapman. His company agreed that he could work from home one day a week, which suited the older man just fine for "a couple of months." Piper and Alex would need to figure out more permanent childcare in the fall, when Alex would begin her internship at DSM Nutritional Consultants, while taking three classes at the community college.

Bill had softened up a bit now that his first grand daughter was in his life, and lucky for everyone, she was a mellow, happy baby even in her earliest stages. She rarely cried unless it was for a purpose (hungry, soiled diaper, or waking up). Tilly allowed anyone to hold her without a fuss, making it easy for the infant to be passed around when one person's arms grew tired.

All of her doctor's appointments went well, and she was a healthy, growing baby girl. Piper didn't suffer from postpartum depression, which was a huge relief for both she and Alex. The couple's sex life wasn't nearly as robust as it had been months earlier, but they made time to pleasure each other at least once a week.

Cal helped out with Tilly more than Piper ever thought he would, especially in the mornings when Alex needed to be at school and Piper at work. Cal enjoyed giving his niece a bottle in the rocking chair, but he still wasn't comfortable changing diapers.

Diane counted down the days until she could babysit her grand-daughter, and she relished every moment with the child. She never complained about working part-time; in fact, she loved it and enjoyed helping "the gals" out.

Alex still worked at Salvatore's four nights a week and at least one day on weekends. She'd been able to sock away a healthy chunk of change that would allow them to move into a place of their own sooner than expected. She'd found an affordable daycare in Brooklyn that would take babies as young as six months old, so she put their name on the waiting list. Housing was more affordable in some of the less trendy Brooklyn neighborhoods, plus Alex could earn her Bachelor's Degree in Nutrition Sciences at Brooklyn College.

There were only a handful of occasions when the couple loathed living in the Chapman home, and that mostly happened when they didn't get enough privacy. They were already stretched too thin, and they could go weeks without spending quality time together. Piper knew that would happen during the baby's early years and while she was still putting in extra hours to impress her supervisor at _Time_. Her hope was to move into advertising for the mega-publishing company, which would mean she'd be able to work from home more often.

Piper insisted that once every two weeks, she and Alex would have a date night, and Diane always volunteered to watch Matilda on those evenings. The first few times the couple tried going out, they were too exhausted to enjoy themselves. (Alex fell asleep during a movie once, and Piper zonked out on the car ride home.) Finally, after three months, they were able to see a play or go to dinner without falling asleep before the date ended.

* * *

One late summer weekend, Alex booked a hotel room in the City, not giving a fuck that it cost $250 a night. They needed to reconnect (and fuck each other's brains out).

"Are you worried about leaving Tilly for 48 hours?" Alex asked when they arrived at their 14th floor room at the Sheraton in Midtown.

Piper hoisted her suitcase onto an ottoman. "The only thing I'm worried about is that I didn't leave enough bottles or pump enough milk."

"You left _fifteen_ of them, babe," Alex chuckled. "Tilly drinks like five a day, so I think we're good."

The blonde pulled an envelope out of her suitcase. "What's this?"

"I don't know." Alex walked over to her. "Open it."

She ripped open the side and slid out a gift certificate to Gramercy Tavern. "It's from our parents."

The brunette's eyes bugged out. "Two hundred dollars? Wow."

"It had to be your mom," Piper said, looking up at her girlfriend.

"My mom doesn't know the first thing about fine dining in Manhattan," she let out a puff. "I can't believe I'm about to say this, but I think it was your dad."

The blonde wrinkled her brow. "My dad? No way."

"Let's call them." Alex yanked her cell out of her pocket and called the house phone. "Hi, mom. Piper and I just opened the envelope you stuck in her bag." She threw an arm around her lover.

"Oh, you got it, did ya?"

She put her mom on speaker phone. "That was incredibly generous," the blonde chimed in.

"Whose idea was it?" Alex asked.

"Believe it or not, it was Bill's. He even made reservations for tonight at seven."

"I _don't_ believe it," Piper replied. "Seriously?"

They heard Matilda cooing in the background.

"Yep. He wanted to give you something special."

"Wow, that was…" Alex trailed off. "Unexpected."

"..to say the least," Piper added. "Please thank him for us."

Alex kissed the top of her head. "How's Tilly?"

"She's just great, aren't you?" They could tell that Diane was smiling down at their little girl.

"Can we FaceTime?" Piper enquired.

"Like I know how to do that!" Diane complained. "You two go, enjoy yourselves. I'll ask Cal how to FaceTalk tomorrow. Deal?"

"Deal," they replied in unison.

"Thanks again, Diane. This is a really special treat." Piper wrapped her arms around her girlfriend's waist.

* * *

Other than her work clothes, Piper hadn't worn a nice outfit since they'd all gone to brunch before she gave birth. Even then, she had to wear a maternity dress, so putting on something that actually hugged her curves and looked good was a treat.

" _Fuck_ , you look good." Alex admired her lover's green V-neck, lace dress that she'd purchased from Banana Republic exclusively for their weekend in the City.

"So do you." Piper sauntered over to stand between her legs.

Alex hadn't bought a new outfit for the occasion, but she wore a dress that she remembered Piper loved back in the day—a simple, black fitted sheath that showed off her curves. The silver and turquoise necklace and earrings complimented the dress perfectly.

Alex rubbed behind Piper's knees as the blonde leaned down for a kiss. "You're going to take off my lipstick."

Piper smiled. "I'm going to take off more than just your lipstick when we get back."

She returned the smile. "I'll hold you to it."

The couple walked hand-in-hand to the restaurant, and it felt like years since they were able to go out practically carefree. They were seated at a window table at Gramercy Tavern, giving them the best view of the sidewalks of New York.

"I think I want a glass of wine," Alex announced, pulling the wine menu into view.

Piper raised her eyebrows. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"I was never an alcoholic, Piper. I've _chosen_ not to drink for the past nine months." She inhaled a breath through her nose. "I'm ready."

Just then, the server arrived and introduced himself as Oscar. "May I offer you a cocktail? Maybe a glass of Prosecco?"

Piper stared at her lover as a smile crept across her face. "I think we're drinking wine. Al?"

The brunette grinned. "I'll have a glass of the Vina Ardanza Rioja."

"Make that two." Piper reached across the table to hold her girlfriend's hand.

"Excellent choice," Oscar stated with a quick nod. "Shall I bring the bottle?"

The brunette glanced up at him. "A glass will do for now."

"Great. I'll return with your wine and to answer any questions about our menu." He walked away as a busboy topped off their water.

The blonde squeezed her lover's hand before releasing it. "You sure you're good with this?"

"Positive." Alex beamed. She returned her attention to the menu. "What looks good to you?"

Piper scanned the menu. "That savory custard sounds amazing."

"So does the seafood chowder." Alex linked their ankles under the table, and Piper lifted her eyes over the top of the menu to watch a smirk form on the brunette's face.

Oscar returned with the wine, explaining the custard to Piper and encouraging at least one of them to try the Arctic char. "I'll give you a few more minutes to consider your options."

"I'd like to propose a toast," Alex said, lifting her glass. "To making it _this_ far together. I never dreamed we'd get here, kid. I owe you everything."

"You don't owe me anything." She clinked her glass against Alex's. "I'm just glad neither of us gave up on each other."

"I'll drink to that." Alex swirled the ruby-colored liquid in her glass before taking in a long sniff, and then bringing it to her mouth. "Damn, that's good!"

Piper took a sip. "It's _very_ good."

The three course, prix-fix menu was to die for—Alex ordered the golden beet salad, sunchoke & seafood chowder, and pineapple sorbet; Piper had the chestnut & mushroom custard, smoked Arctic char, and caramel flan.

By the end of dinner, they were equally full but not bloated. Piper commented about how nice it was to not have indigestion like she did when she was pregnant. " _It's also nice to see my toes again when I bend over_." They each enjoyed the one glass of wine during dinner, not opting for a second. Piper would've obliged, but she didn't want to take things too far the first time Alex reintroduced alcohol to her system in nearly a year.

The blonde noticed that Alex was a little fidgety by the time the bill arrived, and she hoped it wasn't because of her decision to drink wine. They exited the restaurant into the cool late-August air, and Piper was happy to have brought a sweater along. As she shoved her arms in the sleeves, she watched Alex tangle her hands together in front of her—a behavior that often signaled her lover's nervousness. _Maybe she was just cold_.

As Piper looked down to button her sweater, she heard Alex's voice. "There's something I've been meaning to ask you."

The blonde glanced to her left, and her girlfriend wasn't next to her. She stopped walking and twisted her neck around. "Alex?" Piper lowered her gaze and saw her girlfriend down on her knees. "Did you fall?"

"No," she laughed, opening a ring box. "I have on a dress and couldn't exactly get on one knee without flashing all of Manhattan."

Piper's hands quickly covered her mouth as she mumbled, " _Oh, my God_!"

"I was going to do it during our toast, and I'd written this long fucking proposal, but my mouth felt like it had cotton in it, and I just couldn't pull it off." The brunette took a deep breath. "If you told a perfect stranger about our journey to get where we are now, they'd think we made half of it up. We've been through some amazing times together, and some really fucking low points. Never in a million years did I think you'd still want me after what I went through in Europe, but you did. You had enough faith in me to pull me out of the gutter, and I honestly believe that if you hadn't saved me when you did, I wouldn't be standing, well, _kneeling_ here today."

" _Alex_."

People on the sidewalk slowed down presumably to enjoy the show.

The brunette stood with a little help from her girlfriend and dusted off her knees. "I want to raise our daughter together; I want to _struggle_ together to get to a place where we can finally call it _our_ life; I want to grow old and maybe even a little crotchety with you." She raised her eyebrows. "I love you so fucking much, Piper Elizabeth Chapman." A toothy smile spread across Alex's face. "What do you say we make it official? Marry me, babe."

Piper threw her arms around her lover's neck as a few stray tears ran down her cheeks.

"You're strangling me," the brunette breathed.

She pulled back, taking Alex's face in her hands. " _Yes_. I will marry you."

Their mouths crashed together, and people on the sidewalk applauded and let out a few hoots & hollers.

Alex broke the kiss and showed her the vintage diamond Edwardian engagement ring. "I hope you like it."

The blonde leaned a little closer. "It's stunning."

Alex slipped it on her ring finger, clearly proud of herself for picking out the right ring and glad that it fit.

"I can't believe it!" She held her hand up and watched the diamonds sparkle from the lights in the restaurant and a street lamp. "Oh, Alex!" Once again, she tossed her arms around her now fiancée.

They walked arm in arm back to the hotel, every once in a while, Piper holding her hand out to admire the ring. Once they were inside, she got a better look at it in the abundant light.

The couple made love softly and slowly several times throughout the night, never letting the other go.

As the sun rose in the early morning hours, Alex could hardly keep her eyes open, but before she fell asleep, she whispered in Piper's ear, "We'll finally be a real family."

The End


End file.
